New Pet
by Just Alex
Summary: Edward is an urchin boy with nothing to eat and nowhere decent to stay. Lucky him; Roy dislikes an empty home. What will happen when Ed's past starts to catch up with him? Rated M for future chapters. RoyxEd. Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Be Careful What You Say to Strangers

It was dark when Roy left the bar, his head slightly fuzzy and his feet stumbling on the sidewalk. The air was cold and the breeze made him shiver. Clutching his uniform coat to his body, he turned the corner to the road that led to his apartment, bumping into someone small and warm.

The kid bounced off him and tipped backwards, and Roy caught his right arm reflexively. Through his alcohol fog, he recognized the feel of automail through the kid's jacket. He took in the boy's ragged clothes, dirt-streaked face, and long blond hair and realized he was holding an urchin boy. The kid's head barely reached his chest. How old was he?

"Careful, shorty," Roy mumbled, slurring slightly. "Don't wanna fa--"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?!" The kid jerked his arm out of Roy's hand and slammed his metal fist into Roy's stomach.

"Arg!" Roy fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, and the kid leaned over to him and yanked his silver pocket-watch from his pants.

"I'll take this as an apology for the insult." He thumbed his nose and pulled his tongue out at the man in the military uniform that had so gravely insulted him, and ran off.

"H-hey!" Roy was immediately sobered as the small form retreated, taking his state-alchemist's watch with him. "I need that!" He jumped up and took off running, stumbling occasionally, but still catching up to the boy. The colonel's legs were much longer than the small blond's. The boy's ragged black coat whipped back behind him as he ran down the empty alley way. Suddenly, he turned into the doorway of an abandoned building. Roy ran in after him, crashing into him again as the boy turned to slam the door shut.

They fell to the ground, Roy on top of the boy, the boy's back to the ground. The fall knocked the breath out of the both of them, and as they both lay there, gasping for breath, Roy noticed a name stitched in red on the inside of the boy's coat collar.

"Your…your name is Edward, then?" Roy asked breathlessly.

Edward glared at the man above him.

"Who's asking?"

"Roy Mustang." Roy sighed in frustration and looked at Edward's left hand, which tightly clutched his watch. " I need that back." He said, nodding at the watch.

Ed's hand gripped the watch tighter. "Yeah, well I need to eat."

Roy sighed. "Tell you what, you give me my watch back, and I'll make you dinner."

"Why would you do that?" Edward asked, shocked and disbelieving.

"Do you live in this dreadful building?" Roy asked suddenly, ignoring Ed's question. He didn't really know how to answer.

"Y-yes, I live here." Edward stuttered, confused.

"Well, that sucks." Roy frowned and thought to himself for a moment. "  
Okay, then, it's settled." Roy said, getting off Edward and pulling him up by his wrist.

"What?" Ed's voice was panicked. "What's settled?"

"Well, obviously, that you're going to stay at my place."

"What?! Why?!"

"Free food, clothes, board, ect."

"But what do YOU get out of it?"

Roy paused and looked at his hand, which was still holding Ed's wrist.

"Company."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Getting Settled

Roy opened the door to his apartment and stepped aside to let Ed pass.

"Behold, my humble home."

Ed's jaw had dropped and his eyes were wide in amazement.

His apartment was big, but all Edward could see at the moment was the living room and kitchen. The living room looked like a place of relaxation, with a worn leather couch facing a large window that overlooked the street and bookshelves lining the walls. The kitchen was lined with glass cabinets, which he could see were filled with plates, cups, bowls, pots, pans, spices and herbs. There was a cupboard to store dry foods in and a fridge was in the corner. The oven and sink were stainless steel, and the whole room was spotless. Roy liked to cook. A breakfast bar separated the two areas, and the whole place was warm and inviting.

"It's wonderful," Edward said breathlessly.

"Yeah, well," Roy blushed and cleared his throat. "…Uhm, are you hungry?"

Edward's stomach growled insistently at the thought of food, and Roy smirked.

"I see you are. Well, kid, rule number one in my house; you must be clean before every meal. To the bath!"

Edward cried out in surprise as Roy picked him up, bridal style, and carried him down the hall to the bathroom. He set him down gently next to the bathtub and filled the rub two-thirds full of warm water. Roy turned to Ed, who standing awkwardly behind him, unsure of what to do.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Roy's tone was matter of fact. "Take off those rags."

Ed blushed. "But,"

"But nothing," Roy cut in. "You can't wash in those clothes, and I'm not about to leave you to bathe alone. Have you ever even had a bath before?"

Edward blushed darker and began stripping off his clothes. Roy busied himself getting out bottles of shampoo and soap, and then helped the dirt-covered boy into the water.

Edward sighed as the water warmed his chilled skin. He felt Roy's hand on his head and looked up curiously.

"Dunk your head for a moment."

Edward did, dunking under the water so that he was completely submerged, and then coming back up for air. Roy put some shampoo in his hand and lathered the boy's hair. Ed sighed again as Roy's fingers gently massaged his scalp. When Ed's hair was good and bubbly, Roy squirted some body soap onto a washcloth and began washing Edward's body, but when Edward realized what he was doing, he blushed and took the washcloth from him.

"I…I can do that."

Roy nodded and waited for him to finish washing himself. When he was done, Roy gently took the washcloth back.

"Close your eyes."

Ed complied, lightly closing his eyes.

"Close them tighter—you don't want any soap to get in them, do you?"

Edward scrunched his eyes closed and Roy gently scrubbed the dirt from his face.

"Hold your breath…"

Edward took a breath and Roy dunked him under the water, quickly rinsing off the soap. Pulling him back above the water, he told him to keep his eyes closed, and quickly ran conditioner through Ed's hair. Roy pulled the plug on the drain and turned on the showerhead, rinsing off the conditioner and any remaining traces of soap and dirt from the boy's body.

Roy turned off the water and wrapped a large white towel around the boy.

"Here, Edward, dry off and I'll go find you some clean clothes." As Roy left the bathroom, he grabbed the rags the boy had been wearing before and put them in the hamper inside the laundry room. He would wash them, on the off chance Ed wanted to keep them.

He went into his room, which was empty except for a large bed and a dresser, and grabbed a white T-shirt, boxers, and a pair of shorts. He went back to the bathroom and gave Ed the clothes. Edward pulled them on quickly, blushing.

Roy laughed suddenly.

"Your hair is a mess!" He said, pulling a brush and a hair tie from a drawer. Edward stood there quietly as Roy ran the brush gently through his golden hair, untangling it and smoothing it out. He watched him do it in the mirror, and gazed quietly at Roy's raven hair and his dark, calm eyes of coal, fully focused on his task. When Ed's hair was completely free of tangles, Roy quickly braided it and tied it off with the red hair tie.

"There." Roy smiled and turned the boy around to look at his handiwork. His breath caught in his throat. The boy's right arm and left leg were automail, and the newly clean metal shone silver in the light. The clothes he gave him were too big, the shorts hanging down to his knees and the shirt exposing his collarbone. His skin was lightly tanned, and his lashes were long and golden, like his hair. His face, too, was beautiful, but it was his eyes that took his breath away.

His eyes were molten gold, gazing through Roy's eyes and straight to his soul.

Roy cleared his throat.

"Right, now that you're decent, how about we go and make some dinner?"

Edward was excited immediately. "Oh boy, really? What are you making?"

"What do you want?" Roy asked as they walked together into the kitchen.

"Something wonderful!" Roy smirked. "Er, I mean, if its not too much trouble."

"Of course not. I'll make you anything you want." Roy pulled on an apron that said 'If the food is good, Kiss the Cook' on the front, and Ed put his left fist in his mouth to keep from laughing. Roy scowled at him. "You got a problem with my apron?"

"No, no," Ed said, giggling. " I was just wondering if anyone would actually kiss someone who was dorky enough to wear one of those aprons."

"I just so happen to have many women competing for my kiss."

"Have any of them seen you in that apron?"

Roy blushed. "D-do you want to eat or not?"

"Yes, yes, please! I'm sorry!" Ed rushed over to Roy and hugged his waist. "I was only kidding, please make me food!"

Roy blushed darker as Edward snuggled closer to him. "I-I'll make you some steak and peas and corn if you go sit down, Edward."

"Yay!" Ed skipped to the breakfast bar and sat on a stool. He watched as Roy cooked two steaks and a small pan full of corn and peas.

Roy pulled out two plates and two cups. "What do you want to drink?"

"What do you have?" Ed asked as he watched him pull out two knives and forks and start to pile food on the plates.

"Wine, juice, water, soda, milk-"

"Juice, please. I HATE milk."

Roy smirked and poured them both some cranberry juice. He walked to the other side of the bar and set the two plates on the counter. Sitting down next to Edward, he smiled. "Dig in."

Edward cautiously cut a small piece off the steak and put it in his mouth. His eyes closed and he moaned in pleasure at the taste.

Roy's eyes widened and he blushed as he watched the boy's reaction to his cooking. Sure, the steak was good, but did Edward really have to…

Edward's eyes opened and he looked at Roy with worshipping eyes. "This is amazing, Roy. Thank you."

"Yeah, well, eat it then." Roy looked down from Edward's eyes and focused on the plate in front of him, trying not to think of how beautiful this urchin boy was.

Edward finished his food slowly, making little sounds of contentment while he ate. Roy, however, ate his meal quickly and was washing the day's dishes when Edward walked up behind him.

"Do you want me to wash my own dishes?"

Roy glanced at him quickly, then continued scrubbing the pan. "No, I'll do it –just go sit on the couch while I finish, and then I'll take you to your bedroom."

"Okay." Roy chanced another glance at Ed's face as he set his dishes on the counter. Damn, his eyes were gorgeous!

Roy hid his blush by turning back to the sink. He heard the couch compress as Edward sat down and he finished washing the dishes. He dried and put them away quickly, but by the time he got to the couch, Edward had fallen asleep, looking like nothing short of an angel.

Roy's heart melted at the sight. He gently lifted Edward from the couch, and his cheeks stained pink as Ed instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck. He carried him down the hall to the bedroom across from his and tucked him in gently.

Roy was about to leave the room when he heard Ed speak softly. "What?" Roy whispered, leaning closer to hear the half-asleep boy.

Edward's right hand snaked up to Roy's neck and brought him down to the boy's face by weight alone. Roy's eyes widened and he was about to pull away when Edward lifted his head slightly. Their lips brushed together for only a moment before Ed lay back on the pillow, his metal arm falling back to his side.

"If the food is good, kiss the cook…" Edward mumbled softly, then turned on his side to get more comfortable.

Roy stood there for a moment, stunned. Why hadn't any girl been able to give him THAT feeling before? He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. Edward was half asleep; he couldn't have meant anything by that, he probably wasn't even thinking clearly! Roy straightened and left the dark room, shutting the door behind him.

He went into his own room and fell into bed without bothering to shut the door or change his clothes. Edward couldn't have meant anything by that kiss…but what if he did?

Edward opened his eyes to the darkness and lightly pressed his fingers to his lips, blushing.

It was a while before either of them could get to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The New Pet

When Edward woke up, it was morning, and he could hear Roy in the kitchen, humming.

Edward walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the smell of eggs and sausages. His stomach rumbled loudly.

Roy turned and smirked at Ed, holding two plates with eggs and sausages. "Nice timing, there. Sit down, and lets eat breakfast."

They ate in silence, both lost in thought. Roy was planning out the day, but Edward was trying to figure out what had come over him last night. Sure, Roy is really hot…and his lips are really soft…

Roy finished his food and looked over at Edward, who had of course finished before him and was now…staring at him.

Roy blushed. What was he staring at? He cleared his throat.

"T-today, we're going shopping."

"Shopping?" Edward's eyebrows rose high in surprise.

"Yes. You need new clothes." Roy's tone was matter-of-fact, as if buying Edward some new clothes wasn't a huge favor.

Edward smiled and nodded.

xxxxx

Edward was confused. He had never really shopped for clothes; all of his clothes had been given to him by his mother. This…this was much more complicated.

Edward looked around him and gazed at the giant towers of racks, filled to brim with clothes of every type, size, and color. Roy browsed through the shirts, oblivious to the boy's discomfort.

"What colors do you like best?"

"H-huh?" Ed snapped out of his daze and looked at Roy, who was gazing at him expectantly. "Uhm, I like red. And black. And silver, too…"

"Red, black, and silver, eh?" Roy smiled. "That's good that you have a preference; it helps narrow down the search. What size are you?"

"Size?"

"Yeah. What size clothes do you wear?"

"I…I dunno."

Roy slapped his forehead lightly. "Well, duh. I should have guessed. Don't worry, we'll just have to try things on. What do you think of this shirt?" Roy held up a black tank top.

"I could wear that." Edward shrugged.

"Alrighty then." Roy tossed the shirt onto a nearby chair and continued looking.

Soon, several t-shirts, pants, and a jacket were added to the pile, and Roy pulled Edward over to the dressing room. Dumping the huge pile of clothes on the bench, Roy pushed Ed inside.

"Try them on. We'll get what fits."

They left the store with three bags of clothes, and headed over to the shoe store.

"So, what kind of shoes do you like?" Roy asked cheerfully. He felt like he was shopping for a new pet.

"Uhm, boots?"

"Boots it is!"

They left that store with another bag, this one holding Edward's new boots. He felt like he was a kid being spoiled with too many toys.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"Nonsense!" Roy chimed cheerfully. "You're staying at my house, eating my food; you might as well wear clothes that I buy for you."

"W-well, are we done yet?"

"No. There's one more stop."

xxxxx

"Ice cream?"

"Yup. What flavor do you want?"

"Uh…" There were so many to choose from! Edward closed his eyes and pointed. "That one."

"Mint-chocolate chip? Alright. One mint-chocolate chip cone, and one mocha cone, please."

They left the store and started walking back home, bags in hand and licking their ice cream.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so happy to be getting so many reviews! Thank you all so much for reading my story! I hope you all enjoy it--and don't get mad at me for being slow sometimes to update...**

**_SoSickOfNyQuil:_ Thanks--just wondering, but are you sick of the medicine itself, or the commercials?**

**_E.Mahiru_: Yes, Colonels make some real cash. Plus, they don't have to pay utilities or rent cause the army takes care of it. And on top of that, Roy doesn't really get much for himself. He already has what he wants, you know? And yes, I'll make Ed bolder (and less bratty) later. gasp Does that count as a spoiler? x.x;;**

**_FMA-SN-FAN_: I'll try and update as quick as I can, but I need inspiration, you know? I'll get it done, don't worry!**

_**the Psyche Ward**_**: We find out in this chapter that Ed is sixteen at the moment. Sorry for not mentioning it before. So, technically, he's not LEGAL, but if you go by pre-industrialization standards (which I do, since today's industrialized standards are screwy) he's still an adult, and able to make his own decisions. But, in the eyes of America's court systems, Roy is in fact a pedo. XD Whoops!**

** _Obito-Kun Tobi-Kun_: Thanks, I like the title too.**

**_Bar-Ohki_ : Thank you. I try very hard to make my stories amusing.**

**_VermilianValentine_: Thank you--I'm working on it, okay?**

**_Paon_: O.O yes, it would be very creepy if Ed was younger than 15. He's 16, don't worry.  
**

**I appreciate all of your reviews! Thank you! (and sorry for not telling you Ed was 16 earlier. O.O;; ) **

** Now, to the story! **

Chapter Four

The Night Sky Talk

"So," Ed said in a non-caring tone. "do the girls always stare at you, Roy?"

"Hmm?"

Ed and Roy were sitting on the couch and gazing at the stars, and Roy had to shake himself out of a light trance to process Ed's question. Roy glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering why it mattered.

"Yes, always." Roy smirked as Ed's fists clenched. "What do you expect? I'm a sexy beast."

No shit, Ed thought to himself. "Do you have a girlfriend, then?"

"No, but I pretend to; I have an image to uphold at work."

"Why the hell would you need to uphold an image like that?"

Roy was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He had never really thought about it. "I suppose that people expect it of me."

"Why should you care what other people think?"

"Because I want to become fuhrer."

Ed's eyebrows rose. "That's pretty ambitious. What rank are you now?"

"Colonel."

"Wow. You must get paid a whole lot."

"Yup."

There was an awkward pause until Roy coughed and cleared his throat loudly.

"So, uh, yeah." Roy ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I, uhm, kinda have work tomorrow."

"Oh?" Edward's heart sank as he realized that Roy was probably going to make him stay home by himself. He didn't want to be alone.

"Yeah. Uhm, do you want to come with me?"

"Really?" Edward's face lit up with joy and he hugged Roy tightly. "I'd love to!"

Roy blushed and smiled. "Great."

"Wait," Ed said suddenly, pulling away from Roy. "What would I do there?"

"Uhm," Keep me company and light up the room with your very presence. "Be my assistant? Wait, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Then you'll be my new office assistant." Roy grinned triumphantly. Sixteen was the legal age to work, and now he had an excuse to bring him along. There was no way he was going to leave his wonderful new pet alone at home! "You can read, right?"

Edward smirked. "Yes, I can, and probably better than you." Yeah, he was bragging, but he wanted to impress Roy, to show him that he didn't just help out some street kid that stole his watch.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Edward nodded smugly.

"What have you read?"

Ed laughed. "Too many books to count. Most books I've read are about alchemy."

Roy's eyes widened. Alchemy? "Can you do alchemy?"

Instead of answering, Edward clapped his hands and touched them to a plain rock paperweight that was on the coffee table in front of them. There was a flash of red light, and the rock was transformed into a black stone rose, crafted to look fully bloomed. Ed lifted it up and held it under Roy's nose.

"Smell." He ordered the colonel quietly.

Too surprised by Ed's no-circle alchemy to ask him why, Roy sniffed at the rose. It smelled just like a real rose!

"How did you do that?" Roy's amazement must have shown in his voice, because Edward blushed and smiled.

"I told, you, I've read more books than I can count. I take in information, and I don't forget the most important things."

"Wow," Roy smiled and set his newly transformed paperweight on top of some loose papers. "I'll keep this rose forever."

Ed grinned happily. Roy liked his rose! "Can you do alchemy?"

"Yes. I specialize in fire."

"Fire?"

Had he really heard that quiver of fear in the boy's voice? "Yeah. I have special gloves with alchemy circles on them, and when I snap my fingers, the special fabric they're made of creates a spark, and then I manipulate the elements in the air to create paths of fire."

"Were those the gloves you were wearing the night we met? The ones with the red transmutation circles?"

"Yes."

Ed shuddered suddenly. "You could have burned me to a crisp."

"Yes. But I wouldn't."

Edward looked up at Roy with an unfathomable expression on his face. Roy fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced at the clock above the front door. 10 o'clock.

"Well," Roy stood up, stretching. "It's time for bed. After all, we have work tomorrow!"

Edward wordlessly stood up and walked to his bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Assistant Ed

Roy was in the kitchen, cooking eggs and sausages. He was already dressed in his work uniform.

Edward, however, was rushing to get ready. He had woken up about an hour after the colonel and taken a shower. Now he was trying to decide what he should wear to work. Which was more casual, a T-shirt, or a tank top? Which was better to wear to work, blue jeans or black leather? Sighing in frustration, Edward pulled on a black tank top and black denim jeans, figuring he might as well play safe and go with the middle ground. He just wouldn't take off his jacket at Roy's office.

Finally dressed, he walked out into the kitchen and sat at the bar, watching Roy cook. He could offer to help, but he tended to blow things up in the kitchen. Cooking was a skill he never really had the chance to develop, leaving home like he did.

Roy set their plates and juices on the bar counter, and they ate together in a comfortable silence, each thinking their own thoughts.

When they finished, they walked out in the chilly December air to Roy's car and Roy drove them to headquarters. Ed stuck close behind Roy as they walked through the halls, Roy nodding at greetings from coworkers and leading Ed to his office. Before they got through the door, however, a dangerous looking blond stepped in front of them.

"Colonel Mustang," Hawkeye growled lightly, fingering the gun at her hip. "You skipped out on your paperwork last Friday."

"I am terribly sorry, Riza; I'll get to work on that right now." Roy attempted to side step the dangerous blonde to get into his office, but she shifted to block his way again.

"Who's this?" She looked down at Edward suspiciously.

"Mr. Edward Elric." Roy cleared his throat. "He's my new assistant."

"I'm in charge of making sure Roy does his paperwork." Ed smirked at Roy and looked up at Riza. "And I'll make sure he does it, ma'am."

Riza smiled at Edward, who it seemed was going to take a lot of stress out of her job. "The name's Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, but please, call me Riza."

Edward grinned at her as she moved out of the way for Roy and him to go into the office.

Roy shut the door behind him and slowly trudged over to his desk, which was, as usual, piled high with unfinished paperwork. He sighed wearily and sat down. "Ed, you can read any of the books on my shelves while I do this paperwork, alright?"

Ed nodded and walked over to the bookshelves. He was reading from a thick tome when Roy began working.

xxxxx

When Ed looked up from the book, it was dark outside the window and silent outside the door. He checked the clock. 11:43. He looked over at Roy, who had fallen asleep on top of his unfinished papers. Ed sighed and walked over to wake him up.

He shook Roy's shoulder gently. Roy mumbled something lightly and turned away. Ed leaned over to his ear. "Roy? Roy, wake up, we need to go home."

No response.

"Roy?" Ed's stomach rumbled. "Roy, come on, I'm hungry!"

Roy mumbled something else and turned his face back towards Edward, still sleeping. Ed had had enough of this.

"ROY! GET UP NOW!!" Roy jerked up into a standing position and sharply saluted Ed.

"Yes sir, drill sergeant!"

Drill sergeant? Ed put his left fist to his mouth to keep from laughing when he realized that Roy was still half asleep.

"Alright, Roy, now that you're up, lets go home. I'm hungry!" Roy just stood there silently. Though he was standing, Roy's eyes were vacant, and they held no comprehension. "Uhm, Roy?" Maybe he was using the wrong words here. If Roy got up when he ordered him to, then maybe… "Forward march?" Roy jolted forward suddenly, walking towards Ed. Okay, he thought, military commands get a response. I'll just order him to walk to the bathroom and splash his face with cold water, and then we can leave.

But before Edward had the chance to remember what would command him to turn right, Roy's boot snagged on a fold in the carpet. Roy tripped and fell forward, landing on top of Edward, knocking the breath out of him the second time in so many days.

"Roy…" Edward moaned. "You're crushing me! Please, wake up…" Roy lifted his head slowly and looked at Ed, pinned beneath him.

"Edward?" His eyes were still foggy from sleep and he sounded more than a little confused.

"Are you actually awake now?" Edward growled, slightly agitated.

"I don't think so…in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming." There's no way that he's that pretty. There's no way he really smells that good. There's no way…

"Yeah, well, you're not." Edward scowled, breaking into Roy's thoughts. "Would you get off of me? It's a little hard to breathe."

Roy hurriedly climbed off of him and they stood up together. There was an awkward silence.

Roy cleared his throat. "So, uh, you ready to get home?"

"Yeah." Ed smiled as they walked out the door together, paperwork forgotten. "I'm starving!"


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope I'm updating quick enough for you guys, cause I'm working as fast as I can without damaging the end result!**

**Yay, more reviews! **

**_SoSickOfNyQuil_: You like NyQuil? O.O Then why the name?**

**_E.Mahiru_: Yes, that is rather contradictory, but you're right. D: STOP GUESSING THE STORYLINE!! You're WAY too close for comfort. XD So there's no need to bang your head on the desk. And I totally could make Roy sleepwalk...thinks about it...not in the near future, though, cause I have a part of the storyline mapped out. Maybe later, though. :D**

_**I love Malfoy as a ferret**_**: Thank you for feeding my ego. It makes me happy to know I hooked you on my story.**

** And a little teaser for everyone who's reading; the romance is coming soon. ;)**

** But not yet.**

**And now on to the story! **

Chapter Six

Bed Rest

Edward woke up not to the sound of cooking, like he normally did, but to the sound of a phone ringing.

_Briiinngggg, briiinngggg._

Who could be calling at this hour?

_Briiinngggg, briiinngggg._

Why wasn't the colonel answering the phone?

_Briiinngggg, briiinngggg._

Groggily, Ed reached over to the bedside table and picked up the receiver.

"H'lo?"

"Mr. Elric?" It was Riza. "What are you doing at the Colonel's house?"

"Oh, uh," Shit, shit, shit! "We're, uhm, cousins."

"Oh? I wondered why he would hire an assistant so young."

Edward coughed nervously. He would have to tell Roy that he had said that they were cousins now to avoid confusion. "Was there something you wanted, Riza?"

"Oh, yes, is the colonel there?"

"Hold on a second." Ed put the receiver down on the bed and walked across the hall to Roy's bedroom.

His bedroom was as plain as Ed's, just a room with a bed and a dresser. Edward assumed the lump in the bed was Roy. "Roy? Riza's on the phone." Ed walked around the side of the bed and looked down at Roy.

His breath caught in his throat.

Roy was sick. His face was flushed and is lips were chapped. Ed felt his forehead and Roy stirred slightly. He had a fever.

"Edward?" His voice was hoarse, too.

"You're sick, Roy. How the hell did you get this sick overnight?"

"I'm not sick…" Roy growled and attempted to sit up, only to fall back down from the lightheadedness.

"Not sick, eh?" Ed rolled his eyes at Roy's dazed look. "How did you catch it?"

"Maes…caught something…from his daughter…maybe from him?" It was painful for Roy to talk. He winced at the sound of his own raspy voice.

Ed sighed. "Well, you can't go to work like this. Just lay back and rest, and I'll take care of you today. I'm gonna go tell Riza that you're too sick to work; she called this morning." Ed stood up and walked to the door. "Oh, and that reminds me; we're cousins now. I couldn't think of a better explanation for being over here."

Roy had no chance to respond as Ed walked out the door and back to the phone.

"Roy's really sick, Riza. I don't think he can come to work today."

"Oh, really?" Riza sounded only slightly concerned. "That's too bad. I was just going to thank him for getting so far ahead in his paperwork, even after goofing off for a bit with Maes and Fuery."

"I'll be sure to give him the message for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Elric. Help him get better fast, wont you?"

"Yes, Riza, I'll take good care of him."

"Well, goodbye then."

"Goodbye."

Ed hung up the phone and walked back to Roy. He knelt beside the lump on the bed.

"Hey, Roy, what do you want to eat?"

"Soup," Roy rasped. "In the cabinet."

"Okay."

Ed got up and walked through the hall to the kitchen. Soup in a can couldn't be that hard, right? He opened the cabinets…and fisted his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing. Apparently, Roy either got sick a lot, or he really enjoyed soup. The _entire cabinet _was filled with chicken noodle soup.

Well, at least it was simple. Easy directions on the back, the pot's right there, you just have to heat, stir, and serve. I can do this.

And, lucky for Ed _and_ Roy, it really was just that easy.

xxxxx

Ed brought Roy the soup on a tray he had found in another cabinet, along with some orange juice. He set it down on the bedside table and helped Roy prop himself up on a couple of pillows. Roy smiled gratefully and thanked Ed as he set the tray on his lap, and Ed blushed.

"Just eat, okay?" Ed sat on the end of the bed and watched Roy eat. Roy didn't notice as he slurped his soup down, feeling the comforting warmth spread through his body.

Soon, Roy finished eating, and Ed stood up and took the tray back to the kitchen. When he went back to the room, Roy had fallen asleep. Smiling, Ed sat down on the end of the bed to watch him. If he woke up, Ed would ask him if he wanted anything.

xxxxx

When Roy woke up, it was dark outside his window, and he felt much better. He tried to swing his legs out of bed, but there was a heavy weight holding them down. Sitting up slowly, so as not to get dizzy, Roy saw that Edward had fallen asleep on his legs.

Roy smirked at the boy's ruffled appearance. He wore an old shirt of Roy's to sleep in now, and it hung down to his knees as he lay curled up on the bed. Ed's hair was tangled and sticking up in random directions because he hadn't combed his hair (or changed his clothes for that matter) since he woke up that morning. He was laying his head on his arms, and his arms were lying on Roy's knees. This explained Roy's immobility.

Smiling, softly, Roy gently rolled Ed off his legs. He stood quietly and lifted Ed into his arms, carrying him into his own room. He tucked him in, and Ed rolled over and fell into a deeper sleep, dreaming of an angel of fire. Roy gazed for a moment at Ed's peaceful face, and then went back to bed.

He would have to give Edward a really good gift for Christmas to thank him for this.

**hint hint**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so before I blather on about how sorry I am for taking so long, I'm going to answer reviews.**

**_E.Mahiru_: Sorry about making you sign in to leave a review, but I've noticed that most people who like to flame do it on the non-member review thing. If somebody wants to insult me, I want them to do it to my face. And yes, sick is gross. I just wanted to establish Ed's excuse for living with Roy.**

_**I love Malfoy as a ferret**_**: I'm sorry I didn't update quicker! DX**

**_SoSickOfNyQuil_: That's an INGENIOUS way to come up with a name! XD Cousins do complicate things don't they? o.o But the true complications haven't yet come! (And that's all I'm giving you)**

**_Remember The Darkness_: Aw, thanks. I don't understand why everyone seems to like my story--but I appreciate it nonetheless. :D**

**_FMA-SN-Fan_: I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! But thanks for the love. **

**_Mizuki hikari_: Continue? You mean writing? o.o;; **

_**secret25**_**: T.T Everytime one of you says 'update soon' I feel so guilty for not writing faster... But I love that you think they're cute. And that part in chapter 5... blush it must have been the poet in me. With the sleep-walking; I like my comic relief, so I make sure to put a little bit into the stories that I write--I don't want it to get too heavy, you know? ...Jealous? Where'd you get that? And yes; the fire is explained in this chapter. ...blush ...Just so you guy's know, I'm actually more bashful and shy than my characters...the cute parts in the story between Ed and Roy REALLY make me blush. So...yeah. **

**Okay, if you don't care about my apology or the _Tokens of Apology_ I have given you, just skip the rest of the bold.**

**I'm SORRY! I know I haven't updated in weeks and I AM SO SORRY! I've just been SERIOUSLY busy lately—my family is in the process of moving right now (which is WAY uncool D; ) and I was really busy helping mom make the house nice enough for someone to want to buy it.**

**BUT! But NOW, it has been purchased, and I don't have to clean anymore. :D**

**But that's my excuse for not telling you guys anything. My excuse for not writing a TON is the fact that I've had a major case of writers block. This chapter is slightly sad, and that made it harder for me, 'cause I'm normally a cheery person. I'm kinda bad at sad stuff, so if it sucks, I sincerely apologize.**

**BUT! But, I have TOKENS of apology! D TWO Tokens of Apology!**

_**Token Number One**_**: In this chapter, Ed tells his tale—abbreviated, and actually kinda crappily. But he's a sixteen year old male (and I suck at sad stuff) so what did you expect? But anyways, the token is that Roy suggests that Ed write his story out, and I have decided to take this on as a separate story! XD It will be wonderful, with old boyfriend love stories, turf battles, unwanted attractions and the perfect RoyxEd happy ending...or does it count as a beginning? I already have it all mapped out, and I'm actually writing it right now, so if anyone still finds my work worthy of reading after this story's done, they'll have that…**

_**Token Number Two**_**: Okay, so I'm in a photography class, and in my photography class are two wonderful students whose antics to psychologically scar the poor Teacher-Lady I'm sure you all will appreciate. Their names are Jake and Chris, and they are the Hottest Two Best Friends Ever Created By Nature! And their actions make them SO much better! XD **

**Unfortunately, their actions are completely acting, as they are both straight with girlfriends. D; It would have been so much better if it were real!**

_**Incident One:**_

**Teacher: is boringly explaining the assignment—nobody's listening**

**Alex: doodles and wonders what a good present for Roy would be**

**Jake: pulls out an mp3 player**

**Chris: hooks in an earbud and they listen together**

**Teacher: Is pissed about being outright ignored and points dramatically at the two boys**

**Alex: looks up at the motion**

**Teacher: You two UNHOOK yourselves from each other RIGHT NOW!**

**Alex: O.O gigglesnort**

**Jake: suppresses smile**

**Chris: evil grin Can't it wait until after we're…done?**

_**Incident Two:**_

**Chris: is making excuses about why he "can't" do the assignment he's too lazy to pick up a camera for**

**Teacher: Yeah, yeah. Liar, liar—oh look, your pants are on fire.**

**Alex: grins, waits for it**

**Jake: OMG, Chris, your pants are on fire! Quick, take them OFF!**

**Chris: ARG! whips belt open AMAZINGLY fast—like less than half a second, people, seriously**

**Alex: O////////O**

**Teacher: Oh. My. God. hides face in hands**

**Jake: You see how easily that belt opened? We really broke it in good.**

**Alex: wonders if anime-style nosebleeds are possible in real life, and if so, is about to have one**

**Teacher: That's…disturbing.**

**Chris: You know what's really disturbing? He's not even kidding.**

_**Incident Three (Chris was absent, so Brent took his role):**_

**Teacher:…and I don't want to hear excuses about how your pet tarantula is dying and you had to stay up with it all night long.**

**Brent: Well, you see, what happened was my pet tarantula choked on my pet grasshopper, and now they're both dead.**

**Jake: Did you fight the tarantula to save the grasshopper, Brent?**

**Brent: No, but my grandma did, and the tarantula bit her, and now she's dying too! D;**

**Teacher: sighs, exasperated over yet another interruption**

**Alex: sighs, wishing Chris was there to make the situation funnier**

**Sorry guys, that's all I got. ON TO THE STORY!**

Chapter Seven

Ghosts of Our Pasts

Ed has been staying at Roy's place for two weeks now, and they've gotten into a general routine. Roy wakes up earlier than natural for any being without an alarm clock, and Ed is woken up about an hour later by the sounds Roy makes in the kitchen while preparing to prepare breakfast. Ed takes a shower and meets Roy at the kitchen bar just as he's setting the food down, and they eat together, comfortable both in speaking or in silence. Then, if it's a work day, Roy drives them to work, where Ed reads to his heart's content anything in reach, and Roy flies through his masses of paperwork till lunch. At lunch time, Ed is roused from his reading-induced-trance by Roy, and they head out to the cafeteria to eat with some other guys (and a couple of girls) from Roy's division. Ed hasn't really learned their names yet—except for Hughes, who was always shoving pictures of his daughter in people's face. He's kinda memorable. After lunch, Ed and Roy would head back to his office and do the same thing they did in the morning till five, when they headed home and had dinner. Then they would sit on the couch and look at the stars, or watch the snow fall, or just sit or read or think. Eventually, one of them would get tired, and they would both go to bed, to start the process again in the morning.

But when it was a weekend, like today, things were a little different. They still woke up the same, and ate the same (except for lunch, which Roy made on the weekends), but instead of reading (and doing paperwork), Ed and Roy would either play a game of alchemy that they had invented, or just sit and think. Every Sunday, they went out for a run. Today was Saturday, and it was one of the days where Ed and Roy felt like just sitting on the couch and thinking.

The silence was broken only by the sound of their breathing.

"Y'know, Ed," Roy said suddenly, "We don't even really know each other, do we?"

Ed glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "I know you're a good person. And a great cook."

Roy's cheeks flushed lightly at Ed's complements, but he smirked and raised a brow back at him. "Do you ever get your mind off your stomach? That's not what I meant at all."

Edward pouted slightly for a moment, then smiled at Roy. "What did you mean, then?"

Roy sighed. "Nothing."

Ed frowned, then shrugged, turning back towards the window. It was almost a blizzard outside.

"How did you end up an urchin?" Roy asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"What?" As Ed turned to look at him, Roy turned away, looking back out the window.

"You don't have to tell me, if you're not comfortable talking about it. I was just curious. You're too educated to have been born into it."

He was silent for a long while, and Roy began to think he wasn't going to answer when Ed cleared his throat.

"I'm as educated as I am because I taught myself, using my father's study and the library. I have good memory. My father was never around when I was a kid, and I honestly hadn't seen him in years at the time I left. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I lived with my little brother, Alphonse, and my mother. We were a really happy family. Me and my brother were always having brotherly competitions, and after we started reading father's alchemy books, the competitions turned into a race to master alchemy first. We were both good, but honestly, I was a much faster learner than my brother, and I was much more detailed in my creations. Al's were always _functional_, sure, but _mine_ were beautiful. Mom was always proud of both of us equally, though, and all our silly wooden toys made her very happy to see.

"But then, when I was eleven and Al was ten, our mother got…really sick. So sick that me and Ed and Mrs.Pinako from next door had to take care of her. Mrs.Pinako always made us all our meals and, if she was with a client and couldn't come over, she'd send her granddaughter, Winry, over to give it to us.

"We always liked it when Winry came over. She would endlessly blather on about the new automail designs that she had been working on with her grandmother, but…that was what we needed. Her parents had died the year before, so she could relate to how we felt…we just needed distraction.

"Mom just kept getting sicker, and after a while all she really did was sleep. Sometimes, she would wake up and be able to talk to us, but only at night, when the sun wouldn't hurt her eyes. And even then, not for very long.

"Alphonse took to cooking, and Mrs.Pinako was happy to teach him her recipes—along with our mother's.

"I started taking long runs. I would run until I had to rest, and then I would stop right there and make a sculpture that was inspired by where I was at that moment, or how I felt at the time. The countryside is probably littered with them; I hope they don't mind E.E.'s contribution to the view." Here, Edward smiled and glanced at Roy, who was now watching him speak. "That's how I signed my statues. On each one of my works is a little plaque on the bottom right-hand corner on the front, with my signature and the statue's title."

"But one day, when I was on my way home, I ran across a mad wolf about half a mile away from home." Edward shuddered. "He wasn't exactly happy to see me. I had to run for my life. All that time running must have really paid off, or the wolf's sickness must have slowed him down, 'cause I was able to run ahead of him for a little over a quarter-mile. But after that, the wolf caught up.

"That's how I lost my arm and leg. The only reason I wasn't killed is because Winry heard me, and came to my rescue. She shot the wolf good and dead, and then brought me to her grandmother. They patched me up, and made me my automail. The cool thing about my automail is that I saw the blueprints for it, and now all I have to do is add on more metal with my alchemy whenever I grow a bit."

"So you haven't needed to use that skill yet, have you." Roy smirked playfully and Edward swatted his shoulder with his right arm. Roy did his best to keep the pain off his face as the metal clashed against his skin.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Yes!" Roy smiled apologetically. "Yes, I do. I won't interrupt again, I promise. Please continue."

"Alright, well about a month after the incident I figured how to do alchemy without the circle—"

"You just _figured it out_?!"

Edward glared pointedly at Roy and he mimed zipping his mouth shut.

"Anyway, the fact that my brother and I were so good at alchemy made my mom very happy, so we took to playing the Alchemy Game in front of her whenever she woke up. She loved it! But then…" Edward's eyes darkened and his face went blank. "Then…she just…stopped. I…I really don't remember what happened after that. I heard my brother scream. I heard glass break.

"Now that I think about it, it was probably the lantern that sat on the bedside table that broke. It was the only thing lit, and after the crash, the room caught on fire. At that moment, I didn't really care.  
I would have just sat there and roasted myself alive if Mrs.Pinako hadn't burst into the room and thrown me outside in the grass. I don't know what happened to my brother, or the house. I didn't stop to notice. As soon as my feet hit the grass, I was up and running, and I didn't stop until I reached the train station. All I had were my clothes, my jacket, and enough money in my pocket for a ticket. I bought one, and I rode the train until it hit the last stop. Even then, I didn't get off. I was eventually thrown off the train by the conductor, and then I just sort of wandered, until I ran into…Raegan.

"He was the leader of a gang of street kids, and we made a deal. I make them tools, clothes, whatever, and they keep me fed and safe. But there was a turf war when I was fourteen, and Raegan—the gang—lost. The new 'owner' of the turf was…shady, so I ran away.

"I found myself in a little shop called the 'Nick Knack Shack' **(Yes, I realize how stupid the name is, thank you very much)** and I started talking to the owner. I showed him what I could do, and we struck up a deal. It worked great till last month. Mr.Cardigan, the owner, got sick. He left his store to his daughter and…well, lets just say we didn't really get along. So, I was out of a job. And on top of that, it turns out that most people aren't willing to make business deals with sixteen year old street rats. I had enough money to last me a while but…by the time I ran into I was really desperate."

"Which is why you stole my watch." Roy's voice broke Edward out of his depressed trance that had come on with the thoughts of his past. He looked up at Roy and smirked.

"No. I stole your watch because you called me short. The thought of how much the watch was worth only occurred to me after I had ran. And just for the record, it was the first time I'd ever stolen ANYTHING, and I had no idea you were even chasing me until you crashed into me. I was too busy trying to tell my conscience to shut up."

Roy smirked back. "Observant, aren't you?"

"Usually." Edward smiled.

"Hmph. Do you know what happened to your brother?"

Edward's smile vanished.

"…No. I suppose he's either still in Risembool, or out looking for me."

"Do you want to know?"

Ed was quiet for a long moment, and they heard a car drive by outside. Yes, he wanted to see his brother. He loved his brother, and he missed him sorely; he wanted to catch up with him, compete with him over nothing. He wanted to hear about how Winry and Aunty Pinako were doing, and how Alphonse had been getting along with his cooking, about his plans for the future and any crush he has. He wanted to talk about everything, but…he had too much to tell. How could he explain all the changes he had gone through? He didn't want to tell his brother how different he was now; he didn't want to hear how different his brother had become. Oh, but he did! No, wait, he didn't. Did he?

"No." He said finally. "I'm not ready yet."

Roy nodded, and they were quiet for a while. The air felt too heavy, and Roy felt he had to say something.

"You could probably write a book on this."

"I should." Ed didn't sound sad anymore, just thoughtful.

They fell once more into a comfortable silence. Snowflakes spiraled outside the window, and Roy watched them contentedly.

"You know, I think you owe me a question now." Roy glanced at Edward, who was watching the snow fall.

"Uhm, sure, I guess so." Roy fiddled with his gloves nervously. "What do you want to know?"

"What's a skill that you have that no one else knows about?"

A secret skill? "What makes you think—"

"Come on now, fair's, fair." Edward smirked at Roy's nervousness. "It's equivalent exchange. Everybody has a skill no one else really knows about. I told you about the statues. You have to have _something_."

"Well," Roy paused, wondering if Edward would find it a silly skill like his parents had. But how could he? He made toys and sculptures, and that rose… "I…can draw. And paint. Anything I want, anything I see, with my eyes or with my mind."

"Really?" Ed's eyebrows were raised. Roy didn't seem the type to do that. "Just how good are you?"

It was a fair question. Roy pulled a notebook on the coffee table closer and pulled a pen out of his pocket. Edward watched in silence as he began scratching out random curves and dashes onto the paper. Soon he saw a shape…and then hair…and then a face. His eyes glazed over with awe as he watched the scribbles slowly turn into a perfect rendering of Riza Hawkeye.

"That is so amazing…" Ed's voice was breathless, and Roy blushed, turning away and scratching the back of his head nervously.

"W-well, thanks." He stood up suddenly. "Oh, wow, look how late it is; I'm gonna head to bed, okay Ed?" Roy rushed down the hall to his bedroom and shut the door quietly.

Ed just sat there a moment, looking down at the picture of Riza that Roy had made in a matter of minutes. Smiling, he made his way to bed.

He knew what to give Roy for Christmas.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I have officially decided that I have too many reviewers to answer them all on here every time. -.-;; So, I'll answer them on here one more time, and then I'll just be doing review responses, alright?**

**_FMA-SN-Fan_: Was I soon enough? o.o;;**

**_edsgirl-bentobsessed_: Who's Daen? o.o;; Well, thank you, if you like my wide eyed innocent Ed. XD**

**_lost cause331_: I liked the 'preparing to prepare breakfast' part too. :D What did your mom say?**

**_dinopoptart_: I'm writing more! I wrote a poem, too! Thanks for loving the story, and did I update soon enough?**

**_animeaddiction23_: Thanks for loving the story/plot--I'm going to continue to the end! This story is rated M for what starts to happen in chapter 11 (the beginnings of an evil plot) and for (eventually, you guys, be patient with me) sex. I have known the way this story was going to go since the very first chapter, and I felt that it would be misleading and extremely rude to rate it anything else when I KNEW that I would have to change it later. I am also too lazy to bother changing it. -.-;; I'm actually surprised that it took this long for someone to ask me. o.o**

**_GreedxEd_: The picture of Ed comes later. :) No, Ed is not going to go as far as thinking that Roy likes Riza--he may have his suspicions with Riza liking Roy, though. And thanks for liking my story. :D**

**_secret25_: Did I update soon enough:D** **Congratulations, you guessed it! This chapter is indeed Christmas! Have fun reading!**

**_E.Mahiru_: I think Roy just kinda..knew how to draw/paint, you know? Like the prodigies that just instinctively KNOW how to write concertos or play amazing songs on the piano or hit the target every time. I like the way I draw, so I don't need or want Roy's talent. :)**

**Yeah, some people do just go nuts. I actually just needed a way for Edward to end up in central, though, and Alphonse (sorry, Al) was NOT allowed to go. And the wolf--that was pretty gruesome, but no more gruesome than how he lost them in the show, eh?  
**

**_XsleeplessX_: Thanks, I liked the idea to it, too. XD Did I update soon enough?**

**_darkshadowgirl666_: Yeah, art stuffs is what he gets. I have perfect memory...when I want to remember. It must suck to have bad memory, eh?**

**_SoSickOfNyQuil_: o.o Complication? You guys are reading more into the Riza drawing than I did when I WROTE it! XD **

**Alright, so that's the end of the reviews. ON TO THE STORY! **

Chapter Eight

Merry Christmas

Edward tugged his bootlaces tight and lightly jogged over to where Roy was waiting. They were both dressed in sweats, Roy's a navy blue and Ed's a dark red color. Edward's hair was tied back in its usual braid, and as Roy smirked at him from the sidewalk he had to resist smiling at the habit he had gotten Edward into.

"You ready then?" Roy's voice sounded amused at Ed for taking so long, and Edward had to bite back his automatic retort. Instead, he smiled.

"Which rout?"

"How about to the prison and back?" Roy held back a blush at the sight of Ed's smile. He just looked so cute…

"Fine with me. Lets go." And with that, Edward turned to the left and began jogging lightly. Roy hastened to follow.

At first they just jogged. Roy's steps were longer, but Edward was used to being faster, so they kept the same pace until Roy started pulling ahead. Edward glanced at Roy, who was smirking, and jumped ahead. He recognized Roy's change in pace for what it was; a challenge. Roy's smirk widened as he jumped forward to lead. Edward dropped all pretense of jogging and sprinted forward, leaving Roy behind in moments. Roy grinned and ran after him.

Edward's boots slapped against the pavement and the wind blew his bangs out of his face. He breathed deeply and skirted around the corner towards the prison. It was too early for anyone to be outside, so he was alone with Roy as they ran through the streets. He could hear Roy behind him, catching up. He grinned and raced faster, loving the game.

-----

Edward stood on the front step and watched Roy jog up. He wasn't going to brag about getting there first; they did this every Sunday, so what was the point? Roy could win next week, and the week after, for all Ed knew. They did this for fun and exorcise, not for the competition--although that was fun as well. Instead, once Roy made it up to the steps, Edward stood and cleared his throat.

"I have something to do today," He said nervously, hoping Roy wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Me too," Roy smirked lightly. Ed was making it so easy! He had thought it was going to be a lot harder to get Edward to leave him alone long enough for him to pick up his present. "I'll see you at lunch time, then?"

Edward nodded. That would give him just enough time… "I'll see you then." Edward started down the street while Roy walked into the house to change.

It was not until Ed had already turned the corner and was too far gone to follow that it occurred to Roy to wonder whether Edward actually had someone to see, since he had no money to _do_ anything.

But by then, it was too late to ask questions.

-----

As Edward got closer to his destination, he could feel the dread creep up his spine, and he shuddered in apprehension. He had fully planned never to set foot in the Nick Knack Shack ever again after Mr. Crow had died. No offense to the old man, but his daughter was terrible. Seeing a large stone on the sidewalk, he bent over and picked it up. He would need it later.

He sighed as he saw the front of the shop come into view. He noted with disgust that Sara had painted the plain wood letters that spelled the store's name above the door a bright pink.

A bell rang as Edward walked through the door, another new addition to the store that had been fine as it was. Edward glanced around the store that he had such good memories of, and it was both disgusting and depressing that Sara had apparently painted the shelves he had made for Mr. Crow the same shade of pink as the store name.

"Can I help you?" Sara's annoyingly over-cheerful voice rang out as she walked in from the back room. Edward's face was carefully blank as he turned to look at her. Sara, however, had no such control, and her face twisted into one of hate and fury. "You! What the hell are you doing here, you worthless street rat?! Get the hell out of my shop!" Her eyes were blue fires as they gazed at the only person that had ever rejected her.

"Is that any way to talk to a potential customer?" Edward's gaze was forcibly cool, although he was fighting back the snarl that wanted to play across his lips. "I happen to have the power to make you rich, you know."_Not that I ever will._

Sara snorted, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder. "What riches could a pathetic urchin boy bring?" Her hands went to her hips as she sneered at Edward, and he wondered what all the men she had dated saw in her, besides her body. She had a knock-out body and a pretty face, but the ugliest personality...

"I'll have you know I am not an urchin boy any longer, and on top of that, I am an alchemist. What riches do you _think_ I could bring?"

Sara's eyes widened and then narrowed. "What do you want?"

"The best sketchbook you have, the best set of paints and the best art pens as well."

"Double sided?"

"Sure, why not."

"And how do you plan to pay?"

Ed set the rock on the counter and Sara looked at it dubiously.

"You can't be serious."

"Patience is a virtue, Saralynn." Ed looked at the rock, picturing the sculpture he planned to make. Sara bristled at the name.

"Don't you call me that!" She snarled as he pulled his sleeves back slightly.

"You should be proud of the name you were born with. A good man gave it to you." Edward deftly clapped his hands and touched the stone. Sara gasped as the rock was enveloped in a golden light and closed her eyes against the brightness. When she opened her eyes again, a beautiful carving of gold sat were the rock used to be.

Even Sara had to admit that it was beautiful. The statue was of an angel, his hands gracefully stroking the fire that surrounded his legs and reached up just past his hips. The angel wasn't wearing any clothes, but the parts that were important were covered by the flames. The wings were slightly held out and slightly relaxed, and his head was slightly bowed, but turned, so that he was looking up at you from below. Curious to what his face looked like, Sara leaned closer, and Edward stepped back, revolted by her closeness. She sucked in a gasp of air as she saw the angel's face. It was handsome in a superior, aristocratic way, and the statue had a smirk locked on it's face that for some reason was so beautiful that it took her breath away. The shortish, spiky hair fell down over the angel's eyes.

"Who _is_ this?" Sara asked, her voice breathless, and Edward bristled despite himself.

"No one that concerns you. What matters is that that statue is worth enough and more to get me what I want, so if you'll just bring them to me, I'll leave and we'll never have to see each other ever again." Like hell he was going to tell this witch about Roy.

Wordlessly, Sara brought Edward a package of 50 paints, a good brush set, 100 double-sided art pens and a thick, leather-bound sketchbook.

"Thank you." Ed nodded his head at the girl for a moment, then walked out, heading for a flower shop that he had seen had a sign offering to wrap gifts—for a price, of course—leaving Sara to stare bemusedly at the work of art he had left behind.

-----

Roy walked into his favorite bookstore and up to the counter with the biggest grin on his face, causing all the female employees present to swoon. The man at the counter grinned at Roy, used to the girl's reactions.

"Hey, Mustang, welcome back. What are you looking for this time?"

"That beautiful leather journal with the silver plate on the front."

"The really thick one you said you'd never get the chance to use?"

"The very one. And I'll also need one of those excellent pens of yours. Preferably black, silver, and red."

"Can do." The man smiled and started to walk into the back room. "Be right back."

Moments later, the man was returning, and he placed the journal and pen on the counter.

"Did you change your mind about finding the time to use it?"

"No." Roy smiled. "It's a gift."

"Oh." The man gave Roy a knowing smile, and he almost blushed. "You want it wrapped, then?"

"That would be wonderful." Roy smiled, and the man wrapped the journal and pen.

Roy paid and left, heading home.

-----

When Edward got home, Roy still wasn't there, and he ran into his room to hide Roy's gift under the bed. It could stay there for the three days until Christmas.

Just after he had set it down, he heard the front door slam and Roy walk up the hall and into his own bedroom. Quickly, Edward made his bed, concealing Roy's present with the blankets that hung down to the floor.

Ed and Roy walked out into the hall at the same time, and they smiled at each other, both trying to look like they had nothing to hide.

"Ready for lunch?" Roy smirked lightly and Edward grinned.

"Yeah!"

-----

The next couple of days passed by with nothing unusual happening.

Edward was sitting on Roy's couch in the office after lunch (reading, of course) and Roy was diligently working on his paperwork when Fuery walked in.

"You guys are coming to the office party tomorrow, right?"

They both looked up at him, and then at each other. Roy spoke first.

"Sure."

Fuery smiled at them tentatively. "That's great. Riza sent me in here to ask, and to make sure that Roy's doing his work. Mr. Elric, you really are a miracle worker, to get him to work so well. Well, I have work to do, so…I'll see you guys at the party." He grinned at them and then left.

Roy and Ed looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged and returned to what they had been doing before.

-----

Wednesday started like any other morning, as if it wasn't Christmas day and there wasn't a party at work that night and Ed's stomach wasn't full to bursting with annoying, jittering butterflies because of it.

He could hear Roy cooking in the kitchen, and he could smell the sausages. He had the feeling that Roy was making waffles, a feeling that was confirmed when the annoying ping of the waffle-maker sounded.

Edward ran into the bathroom to take a quick shower, and as he quickly scrubbed himself down, he had a short debate.

Should he give Roy his present now, or later? Probably now, since later they would be at the party, and it would be awkward if he was the only one with any gift. But it would be awkward giving him a gift anyway…it would be like he wanted something in return…

Fighting down his sudden blush, Edward roughly dried himself off and dragged on his clothes. Today he decided to wear a red button-up shirt, with the collar open and the first button undone, along with his usual boots and black leather pants. He walked back into his room and grabbed the red-ribboned box.

When he walked into the kitchen, Edward saw that Roy had already sat down to eat (in his uniform, as usual), and Ed's food was in front of the seat next to him, filled with waffles and sausages—just like Edward had thought. But that wasn't what caught his eye; his attention was first captured by the box next to the meal, which was wrapped in red paper and topped by a silver bow. Slowly, Edward walked over to the breakfast bar and set Roy's present next to Roy's plate. And Edward beamed.

"We can open them together, then," Roy said, smirking, and Edward's grin grew wider.

"Sounds like a plan."

-----

They were sitting together on opposite ends of the couch, each with their own gift on their lap.

"You open yours first." Edward said, not taking his eyes off his gift.

"No, you go first." Roy didn't look away from his shinning red package.

"No, really, you go first." Edward smiled at Roy, who was now giving him an inquisitorial look. "I like the anticipation."

Roy grinned. "Alright." Carefully, he tore the silver paper off and set the bow to the side. Slowly, he lifted the lid and looked inside. A thick sketchbook, pens, paints… "Art supplies?" Roy glanced at Edward in surprise, then began looking through them, judging their quality and worth.

"Yeah. I just thought, you know, you just have an amazing gift, and…" Edward trailed off and looked away. "…It's alright if you don't like them…"

"Oh, no, Ed, I _do_ like them—It's just—how did you _afford_ them?" Edward had no money. It's why they had met in the first place. So how did he pay for such high quality materials?

"I have my connections." Ed smiled cryptically and turned to his own gift. "So, it's my turn now?"

Roy smiled and put his box of art supplies to the side, to be used later. "Yes, go on, open it."

Grinning, Edward used his finger to slit the paper along the top and pulled the paper off, setting his red bow next to Roy's. He paused as he saw what was in the box, then slowly pulled it out, holding the pen in his left hand and thumbing through the thick, leather-bound book with his right, careful not to rip the pages with his metal fingers. "A journal?"

"Yeah." Roy kept his face carefully blank as Edward turned the pages, bemused. He was most likely looking through all the different alchemy symbols at the bottom corners of each page. He stopped at the symbol for perfection, and Roy continued. "It's for writing your story, you know? Look at the front." Edward flipped the book closed so that he could see the green leather cover. There was a silver plate bolted to the book where a title or the word 'Journal' should have been. "You can use your alchemy to put the title on there, and your name, if you want."

For a moment, they were both quiet as Edward gazed at the silver plate. Then Ed clapped his hands and touched the book, enveloping it in bright light. When the blue dots faded away from Roy's vision, he saw that the plate now read '_Urchin Boy_' with '_E.E._' beneath it.

"I love it." Roy's heart skipped a beat as Edward gave him an ecstatic look. "I can't wait to start writing."

Roy smirked, fighting down the mushy, romantic words that wanted to pour from his mouth. "Then bring it with you, 'cause it's time to go."

-----

That day at work, Roy worked as diligently as was becoming normal for him, and Edward dove into his new task of filling his journal with the story of his experiences as a street urchin. Roy couldn't help but smile when he looked up occasionally to see Ed so inspired and riveted by his gift.

With them thus occupied, the time before the party passed quickly.

-----

It was about ten o'clock, and Edward was beginning to feel a little tired. Sure, the party was fun, but it was, after all, only an office party. And they did have work the next day. Edward began to make his way over to Roy, who was talking to Riza.

They were in some big office that had been decorated with mistletoe and strings of lights that twinkled brightly in the dimmed room. Annoying Christmas music was playing, as is the custom of every Christmas party, and everyone had _some_ form of Christmas food or alcohol in their hands—mostly eggnog. Edward didn't care for eggnog. In fact, he felt that it tasted like ass in a cup. **(Even though most—meaning close to none—of you won't get this, that was a shout-out to one of my friends :D) **Shaking the thoughts of eggnog from his mind, Ed walked up to Roy and waited patiently for him to stop talking to Riza, who was sitting on a chair while Roy stood.

Together, they noticed that Edward was there, and the conversation stopped. Riza stood up, smiling at Ed.

"I'm going to go get some cake." She walked off, leaving Edward looking up at Roy.

Suddenly, Edward realized with a sickening jolt that the three of them had been under a clump of mistletoe. Thank god Riza hadn't realized…but now that he had noticed, what was he supposed to do, ignore it?

"What is it, Edward?" Roy smiled lightly at Ed, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm feeling tired, so I'm going to go home."

"Oh, I'll drive you—"

"No, Roy, you're enjoying the party. You never get to socialize. I can walk."

"But—"

"Really, Roy. I know the way, and I can take care of myself."

"But I should—"

"Roy, look up." Roy looked up, wondering what he was supposed to see. His eyes widened as he saw the mistletoe, but before he could ask Edward why he had pointed it out, Ed's lips had pressed against his own. He could only stand there in shock as Edward's fingers dug into his shoulders.

Edward had been watching for Roy's eyes to widen, and as soon as he saw it, he stepped on top of the chair so that he could reach and pulled Roy to him by his shoulders. He kissed him softly, not moving, and only for a moment. Then, he pulled back to look at Roy's shocked face.

Edward fought back a smile and jumped off the chair. "See you at home, Roy." And, with that said, Ed walked out the door, leaving Roy to enjoy what was left of the party.

If he could ever shake off the shock.

**Woot! A kiss that HAS to be acknowledged...or does it? XD You'll see!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

A New Years Tradition

* * *

_He kissed me._

_Holy shit._

_HE kissed ME._

By the time Roy had gotten over his shock and rushed home, Edward was deep asleep. Figuring that they could talk tomorrow, Roy left Ed to his rest, and went to bed.

But they didn't talk tomorrow.

Or the next day.

They hadn't talked for the past FOUR DAYS, and it was driving poor Roy _up the wall_.

Every time Roy asked Edward a question, he received either a nod, headshake, or a shrug for an answer. Every time he tried to start a conversation, Ed would give short, noncommittal responses until Roy gave up and started sketching faces of random people he had seen that day.

He was getting quite good at using those markers…

But Edward was avoiding him. As much as he could, anyway, as they shared the same house and workplace. But he only came out of his room for food, and he only talked to Roy when he absolutely had to.

It was infuriating.

You'd think that it was ROY that had kissed EDWARD or something.

Even on their Sunday run, Edward hadn't spoken or competed with him at all.

But it was going to be okay, 'cause Roy had a plan, and it had everything to do with the New Year's party the next day…

Ignore the great Roy Mustang, would he?

Well, we'll just _see_ about _that_.

* * *

_I kissed him._

_Holy shit._

_I kissed HIM_.

What had he been _thinking_?!

He should not have done that.

He should NOT have done that! **(Is anyone else reminded of Hagrid in the first movie?)**

Now he felt awkward and embarrassed whenever he was around Roy.

Kissing him had been the worst idea _ever_.

What had he been _thinking_?!

Roy was _way_ older than Raegan, and Raegan was too old for him, too!

But that hadn't really stopped him before…

Shit! He was NOT allowed to think that way! That had been different, Raegan had taken him in, saved him…

And how was he different, again?

Raegan was closer to his age…

Barely.

He protected him, he was a good guy, he…

He was dead.

Shit.

Edward buried his face in his pillow and tried to sleep, pushing away the memories he didn't want.

It had been two years; he was _over_ it, already. He was. Really.

Maybe writing the story of his past was a bad idea. It was bringing back memories he didn't want to think of outside of his writing.

Edward eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep, unaware of what would be called upon him the next day.

* * *

After another morning of awkward silence, Roy finally spoke up when they were settled at the office.

"We're going to the new years party," He said matter-of-factly. "It's mandatory."

"Alright." Edward looked up from his journal for a moment, then went right back to writing.

Roy smiled at how fast he was running through it—the book was about a quarter done, and it had only been a week—no, less than a week. He must really need to get his story down on paper.

"We'll be working the fireworks."

"Oh?" Edward looked up at Roy, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. So be at the bell tower about ten minutes before midnight, alright?"

"Alright, Roy."

And just like that, the trap was set. And Edward, blissfully unaware, continued his writing. Roy, completely aware, smiled and got to work.

* * *

The New Year's party was much like the Christmas one, only with wine instead of eggnog and HAPPY NEW-YEAR banners instead of Christmas lights and mistletoe.

Everybody was talking, talking, talking about absolutely _nothing_.

For the twelfth time that night, Edward found himself looking for the colonel.

But the colonel wasn't there; he was in the bell tower, with the fireworks…what was the time? The clock over the mantelpiece says it's about fifteen till midnight…

Edward sighed in relief and headed over to the bell tower.

* * *

When Edward reached the top of the tower, where the fireworks were going to be lit, Roy was setting up the rockets on the floor towards the sky.

"There you are, Edward," Roy said briskly, cutting the fuse on a bright blue rocket. "Come over here and check my directory; you have better depth perception than I do."

Edward walked over to where Roy was kneeling on the floor and knelt down beside him.

"Where do you want them to go?"

"About five feet above the main office." Roy pointed in the general direction of the lit windows across the lawn. "The rockets have enough power in them to get them about three feet short of the party room windows."

"This'll sure give them a show, won't it?" Edward smiled as he slightly adjusted the rocket, then went on to fix the rest.

"If it doesn't scare them half to death, they'll love seeing the fireworks up close." Roy smirked evilly. "Though, perhaps if they knew that I was the one that prepared the fireworks, they'd all be terrified."

Edward snorted. "Good thing you didn't tell them, eh?"

"Yeah. Good thing."

Edward finished his work, and straightened up. "Are you done with me, then?"

"What time is it, Edward?" Edward shrugged, so Roy handed him his pocket watch.

"If you had a watch, then why—"

"What time is it, Edward?" If Roy's voice was a bit husky, Edward didn't notice.

Ed sighed and looked down at the watch. "It's about fifteen seconds till midnight."

"Perfect."

Roy's voice was undeniably husky this time, and Ed raised a brow at him, handing his watch back. "I think I'll go now." He turned towards the stairs and started to walk away.

_Ten_

Roy grabbed Edward's right arm with his left, holding him still.

_Nine_

"What are you doing?" Edward didn't sound alarmed, or annoyed, just confused.

_Six_

Roy snapped his fingers, lighting all the fireworks at once.

_Five_

"You're not allowed to run away this time, you understand?"

_Two_

Edward's eyes widened as Roy's face lowered to his own.

_One_

They kissed, and a hundred fireworks went off at once, welcoming the New Year with open arms and bright hopes.

* * *

**Yes, yes, I know, I'm a sap. -.-;;**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everybody! I'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter, but you see I've recently moved to a new place which for some reason has dedicated itself to making me miserable. I've been suffering from sunburns, viruses, sickness from pollution, and jerk-off schoolmates, and have generally been too depressed to want to do ANYTHING, let alone write a story. Even my schoolwork has been suffering (which is really something, for me--but it's not that bad, honest). So, I'm really sorry for the delay.**

**And thank you for all your reviews. It really makes me feel better to know that you all enjoy what I write. I only wish I could write faster for you all.**

**Erm, right, so, enough sadness! On to the story!**

Chapter Ten

A Simple Sketch

It was Thursday morning and Edward was watching Roy cook with a dreamy look in his eye. Nothing much was different after that kiss at midnight, besides the fact that they _had_ kissed at midnight. One might be justified to wonder why the hell Ed was staring at Roy like a lovesick puppy when just a week ago he would have been staring out the window, waiting for food. Well, to Ed, the difference was very obvious.

Roy had kissed _him_. And in the most sappy, romantic,_ wonderful_ way possible.

The difference was that Edward was now completely smitten.

And now, Edward was just waiting for Roy to finish cooking so that he could kiss him good morning…and then maybe a thank-you-for-breakfast kiss, too…and then maybe a because-I-want-to kiss…

Roy (_finally_) finished breakfast and set it on the counter like he did every morning. He walked around the counter and sat in the same seat he sat in every day, and then turned his head and smiled at him, like he did every morning.

And Edward lost his nerve. AGAIN.

Luckily for him, though, Roy didn't. Unlike every morning before, Roy leaned forward in his seat and gently pressed his lips against Ed's. And just as Ed started to enjoy the soft warmth, Roy pulled away.

"Good morning, Edward."

Ed blinked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Good morning, Roy."

And as they began to eat their meal, Edward could swear that he felt a new tradition in the making.

* * *

At work, Edward did what he always did. He wrote and wrote, and then wrote some more. But Roy worked extra hard, determined to finish early. All his hard work paid off; he was done by one o'clock.

Roy filed the last paper in the correct folder and looked up at Edward.

Still writing. Perfect.

Quickly, Roy took out the art supplies Ed had given him for Christmas and opened the sketchbook to a clean page.

Edward probably hadn't realized it at the time, but the colored pencils he had given Roy were actually oil pastels. This gave Roy the ability to make some really amazing pictures, as pastels had always been a strong suit of his. Oh, and the smooth glow you could get with the proper use of pastels…

Right then. Pencil sketch first.

Lets start at the forehead…in for the brow line…follow the straight line of his nose, the smooth curve of his lips and chin, down the curve of his neck to the collar of his red shirt. Ooo, so many lines to draw in a shirt…down the front, all the buttons, the extra wrinkles where his stomach is propping up the book—stop. Go back up to the collar, draw in the shoulder…not too broad, but not too slender, either…down the line of his right arm, the extra wrinkles at the elbow, a straight line again until you hit the wrist, where the many complicated lines of his automail show beneath his glove, which is holding the book as he scrawls diligently with his left hand…back up the lines and curves of his arm and draw in the other shoulder. Now back to the book, add details…then down to the thighs, one up, one flat, both clad in those wonderful leather pants…right, down to the knees, then the calves, then the blunt curves of his boots.

Now the couch. No need to go into much detail there, you just need the basic structure…the arms, legs, back, cushions…and then you just need to add in his hair, with his braid lying just so on the arm and his bangs hanging low to frame his face. Oh, and you can't forget that one unruly lock of hair that just insisted on sticking straight out. And then you move down to the face again, the lines of his lips barely there, blending in well with his tanned skin…but we're coloring later, not now…

And finally, the eyes. The most important feature, the thing that really draws you in with Edward; the eyes, the eyes, his beautiful eyes. So golden and long-lashed and lovely…

Right. And now on to inking, so that I can get to the real fun; coloring…

* * *

When Edward and Roy got home, Roy had a smug look on his face, and Edward noticed.

He wanted to ask…

But he didn't.

If he needed to know, Roy would tell him.

And if he didn't either tell him or lose the look, he would bug him until he did.

* * *

Ed and Roy were sitting in the living room on the couch, and Edward was pretending to write more in his book, but he couldn't really concentrate. Roy was drawing in his sketchbook again, but this time it was different, more intense, and it was starting to worry Ed.

What could he be drawing that he had to concentrate so hard on?

If he tried to look over his shoulder, Roy would probably get mad…

"DONE!!" Edward jerked in surprise as Roy lifted his sketchbook triumphantly and dropped it into Edward's lap. He raised a brow at Roy before looking down at the picture in his lap.

It knocked the wind out of him.

It _was_ him, and in Roy's eyes, he must be beautiful to get such a picture. It was just him sitting on the couch at work, writing, but the lighting was at sunrise, and there was a halo around him from the light of the sun behind. His golden hair almost faded into the shining gold of the sun—almost, but not quite—as the drawn Edward sat comfortably, writing in the journal that Roy had given him for Christmas…but all of the bright, shimmering brilliance around the drawn Ed faded in comparison to the drawn Edward's eye—the only one you could see—which was like melted gold in its intensity.

Oh, wow…was this really how he looked to Roy?

"What do you think, Edward?" Roy's voice was quiet, cautious as he watched Edward gaze at his masterpiece.

"I think," Edward whispered quietly, "that this is one of the few truly stunning things that I have ever seen."

"Really?" Roy's smile was breathtaking and he leaned towards Ed in a picture of sheer delight.

Edward couldn't help but grin back. "Yeah. I feel like I should reward you or something."

"O-oh yeah?" Roy blushed slightly as Edward set the sketchbook down on the coffee table before leaning towards him.

"Yeah," Edward leaned closer until their lips were just barely brushing. "It really does deserve a reward…"

"I think you're right…" Roy closed his eyes as Ed finally pressed his lips fully onto the Colonel's.

For a moment, they just enjoyed the closeness, the gentle press of skin on skin.

And then Edward's left hand moved to barely touch Roy's neck and his tongue lightly ran across the Colonel's bottom lip.

And then everything escalated. Roy was on top of Ed and Edward's metal hand was ripping through the back of Roy's shirt, but the Colonel didn't care, because it was just so amazing and Edward was perfect and _everything_ was perfect and—

And the phone was ringing.

Roy tore himself away from Edward with a low curse and jerked the phone from the reciever on the coffee table.

"Yes?" He barked.

Edward held back a snigger at the tone of Roy's voice. The Colonel scowled darkly at him, but Ed only raised a brow sardonically, mocking him.

"Colonel Mustang?" Hawkeye's cool voice rang in Roy's ear and he forced his attention back to the phone.

"Yes, Hawkeye?"

"You need to come in an hour early tommorow."

"What?" Roy frowned as he watched Edward brush himself off and stand, looking at him and gesturing towards the shower. Roy nodded at him. "Why do I need to come in early?"

"You need to break in a new recruit."

"Oh." Roy watched Edward leave and heard the bathroom door close. "Who is it?"

"His name is Private Reagan Moris."

Roy frowned again, wondering why the name set off a bell in the back of his head. "Edward and I will be in an hour early, then. He just needs the basic tour, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright. We'll be there. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, sir."

Roy hung up the phone and drug his fingers through his hair with a groan.

For a moment, he just sat there, listening to the running water of Ed's shower.

Then he stood and went to bed.

Edward, unaware of who he was to meet the next day, continued his shower, and the night passed without incident.

**Reagan Moris? Now, where have we heard that name before? –evil grin-**

**Oh, and hi Grandma! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven  
Reunions

_Yawn._

"It's not _that_ early, Edward."

"Six in the morning isn't early?" _Yawn._ "I think you need to see a doctor, Roy. Something's _obviously_ wrong with your head."

Roy only sighed, shaking his head lightly. They were walking together down the hall towards the offices, where Lieutenant Hawkeye was going to meet them and then introduce them to Private Moris. Roy had already explained what they were going to do, and Ed was alright with showing the new guy around.

That wasn't going to stop him from complaining about having to get up so early, though.

"Colonel Mustang, there you are." Riza greeted them immediately as they walked through the door and walked right up to Roy. She handed him a cup of coffee. "Shall I give you the rundown on Private Moris, then?"

"Yes, Lieutenant." Roy nodded and turned to Ed. "Just go on ahead to my office and keep him company, alright?"

Edward smiled and nodded, walking down the long hall and through the office doors, shutting them behind him.

* * *

"Alright, Riza, go ahead."

"Well, it seems that Raegan Moris was an urchin boy until a few years ago; the leader of a small gang of children, in fact. About two years ago, however, a rival gang obliterated his gang, and, for his own safety, he ran off to join the military. Lucky for him, they take in sixteen year olds. Now he is eighteen and…Roy? Are you alright?"

Roy had turned a sickly green color after the beginning of Riza's second sentence. He had realized, you see, just who this new recruit was.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Shit, Ed!"

"Roy?!" Riza's eyes widened with alarm as Roy suddenly took off towards his office down the hall.

* * *

The doors shut behind Edward and looked up with a smile towards the new recruit that he and Roy were going to break in together.

The man's back was to him as he looked out from the window behind Roy's desk, and Ed took a moment to wonder why his short, mousy brown hair and tan skin seemed familiar. But then he dismissed it and cleared his throat to get the other guy's attention.

"Hi, Moris, right? I'm…I'm…" Edward's eyes widened as Private Moris turned to look at him. _Eyes so bright a green that it outshines all of spring and summer grass…_

"Edward?" _Oh jeez, even that smile!_ Moris grinned and stepped forward.

"R-Raegan?" Edward knew his voice was breathless, but under the circumstances, he decided to just be glad he hadn't fainted. The only thing different about him was a new, long white scar that cut through his left eyebrow and marred down to just above the jaw line.

"Edward!" And just like that, Edward was surrounded by the familiar, almost sweet scent of Raegan as he was swung up into his arms. "Oh, Edward, I've missed you so much!" His voice was thick with relief as he kissed the corner of Ed's jaw. "I was so worried…" His voice deepened with weariness as his lips brushed up Edward's cheek. "I had no idea where you were…" The tips of their noses brushed together. "…if you were safe…" Raegan's lips brushed Edward's other cheek. "…or even if you were still alive." Edward's eyes widened as Raegan's lips pressed against his own.

_Oh no…_

His fingers clenched spastically on the sleeves of Raegan's jacket as the man's arm tightened around Edward's waist and his hand moved to grip Ed's braid.

And then Ed was pressed against a wall that he didn't remember being close to, and he was trying to push Raegan away, but he didn't want to hurt him, so his metal hand stayed clenched in the sleeve while the left hand was pushing against Raegan's shoulder and he couldn't breath and there was no way this was happening and—

_BANG!_

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING TO _MY_ ASSISTANT?!"

And just like that, Raegan was two feet away from Edward and smartly saluting Roy, who had just burst through the door.

"Just saying hello to an old friend, sir." Raegan didn't sound embarrassed or ashamed to be caught. That was just like him, too… Edward tried to fight back the hysteria that he could feel beginning to creep up on him. He slid bonelessly down the wall, causing Roy's gaze to shoot to him in alarm.

"Edward, are you alright?"

_Oh yes, Roy, love, I'm just dandy. I've just been reunited with my boyfriend that's supposedly been dead for two years and he's just thoroughly molested me, but don't worry about it, 'cause I'm just fine. It's not like its traumatic or anything, to be sexually attacked by a ghost. Oh no, not at all._

Ed's face suddenly split into a grin so wide that his cheeks hurt and he heard hysteric giggles echo in the small office. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was coming from him. He felt hot, wet trails run down his cheeks and dimly noted that he must be crying, and that was probably why Roy looked so terrified.

"Edward? Edward, what's wrong?"

Edward's hysterical giggles suddenly cut off as he looked up at Roy with a combination of fear, confusion, and helplessness in his eyes.

"It's Raegan…back from the dead."

And then everything finally became too much, and he fainted.

* * *

**Wow, I got -inspired-! D**

**This update was pretty quick; sorry it was so short, though!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so I have a lot of explaining to do. I, as you all know, have not updated in FOREVER, but I have REALLY good reasons. The computer died. I wanted to have a funeral, with a proper burial and everything, but mom said we'd get more money if we sold it for parts. So we did that instead. **

**So, here I am, at my friend Melinda's house, thanking the deities that she has a floppy disc drive in her computer. The old old OLD computer that I use to type my stories on is so old that it doesn't actually have a thumb drive. Its so OLD, its not even black or white—its GRAY. So, Melinda's computer is truly a godsend, as now I can actually update! WOOT! I've been answering your reviews on my mom's computer, which, coincidentally, does NOT have a floppy disc drive. (It does have a rotating screen, though…)**

**I suppose I could have typed up more than one chapter, though…but this one was a bit hard for me. (And I did do a lot of new stories...)**

**So, yeah, here it is and here you go! :D**

Chapter Twelve  
Explanations

"Ed!" Raegan and Roy cried out at the same time, Raegan breaking his salute and taking a step towards the collapsed form.

Roy shot him the most venomous glare he could muster and Raegan froze from the sheer fury that it contained.

"Don't. You. _Touch._ Him."

Raegan gulped as he realized that maybe, just maybe, it might have been a bad idea to molest a guy that he hadn't seen in two years. Roy walked over to Ed and knelt down next to him.

"Edward?" Roy's voice was soft and his fingers were gentle as he lifted Edward slightly so that his head was resting on the Colonel's hand. "Edward, wake up."

Edward didn't stir.

"Come on, Ed, it's time to wake up."

Nothing.

"Oy, Ed!" Raegan called to Edward from where he was standing, ignoring the evil glare he received from Roy. "Time to eat, get your lazy magic-working rear out of that cot!"

"Nrgh, alright, Rae, just a second…" Edward mumbled lightly. Roy's eyes widened.

For another short moment, nothing happened. But then, Edward's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly.

"Waitaminute, why aren't you dead?!"

Raegan snorted. "You haven't changed much, have you?"

Roy snarled, his metaphorical hackles rising. "Answer. The. _Question_."

Edward glanced at Roy as Raegan cleared his throat nervously. "Uhm, right, well, there I was, on the side of the cliff by the stone river—"

"Stone river?" Roy cut in.

"The place down by the industrial compound." Edward explained.

"—and there Trinity was, his gang behind him and that dirty, no good _Snick_ standing there as his right-hand man—"

"That low-down dirty rotten traitor, should have gotten rid of him the day he stole that candy and didn't share, you know that's the first sign of fading loyalty, when you don't give what you have—"

"Edward. Let Raegan finish. You can rant later."

"—and Trinity was all "I'm gonna mess that perdy face o'your's just like you scarred up mah cheeks" and then he did that really fast move thing, you know, where he's in one spot one second and right in front of you the next, and he slices my face up! Right through my eyebrow and down to my chin…this'll never go away, you know—"

"_Raegan_." Edward was beginning to loose his patience with Raegan's tendency towards circuitous explanations.

"Right, sorry, so I do the whole dramatic backwards fall—right into the river! And, of course, everyone assumes I'm dead, 'cause who could survive that, yeah? Hell, even I thought I was dead for a bit there, but I ended up being carried all the way down to Norswire, that little town way down south, you know? So I figure, well, everyone's either dead, run off, or going to die soon, so why not stay here a bit? I ended up joining the military, 'cause they were willing to take me, you know? Most people just don't take in urchins, not trustworthy, they think, isn't that a laugh, Ed?"

Edward scowled and Raegan's almost constant smile faltered. He cleared his throat to cover the uncomfortable quiet in the room.

"Erm…so…yeah…two years of training, and here I am…"

There was a bit of an awkward stretch as Edward and Roy scowled at Raegan, and then Edward spoke.

"Why did you do that?"

Raegan's face immediately turned serious, and his posture straightened, a sign that whatever he said next was going to be completely truthful.

"Because I really did miss you, these past two years in military training."

Edward sighed. "Raegan, we can't be together anymore. For one, you're in the army now, and our age difference at the moment is actually illegal. And also…" Edward faltered for a moment, glancing at Roy for strength and resolution. When he looked back at Raegan, his gaze was determined. "You gave me up the instant you decided to stay in Norswire rather than finding me and letting me know you were still alive." Ed took a deep, shaky breath. "I thought you were dead. I really did. Do you know how much that hurt? Do you know how much it hurts _now_, to know that you chose to let me feel this way?"

"Eddy—"

"No, Raegan, no. Just don't."

Raegan's eyes went a dull, gray-green color and he nodded slowly. "I understand."

Edward exhaled deeply, looking down. "Good. Roy, I'm gonna go…up to the tower, alright?"

"Of course, Edward." Roy watched as Edward walked out the door before turning to Raegan.

For a moment, they were both silent. Then Raegan spoke.

"Look, Colonel, I'm not going to chase after him." Raegan sighed, looking down and away. "He's right, I was wrong. I have no right to chase him now. So there's no need to worry."

Roy's eyes narrowed for a moment, then he nodded, satisfied. "You just keep that idea firmly planted in your brain, Private, and we wont have any _problems_. Come with me and I'll show you around."

They left the office together, and Raegan reflected on the fact that he had no doubt earned himself the most unpleasant tour possible.


	13. Chapter 13

**Blah blah blah, excuses, excuses—I know I haven't updated in forever and a day, but the fact is, I had no idea what to write next. But now I do, so here you go.**

**Hope you all aren't too angry with me!**

Chapter Thirteen  
More Ghosts

When Roy arrived home that night, Edward had been there for hours.

After all that Ed had thought about in the tower, he had felt that he should do something to strengthen his newfound resolve, but all he could think to do was come home. So he did, and he thought some more while he was there, and when Roy walked through the door he was still thinking, sitting on the couch, unmoving.

"How're you doing?" Roy asked him quietly, sitting down beside him.

"I'm good," Edward responded, hesitantly smiling at the colonel. They were quiet for a moment, until Ed broke the silence. "So. You give Rae a good tongue lashing for me?"

"You bet I did, the ungrateful brat." Roy frowned furiously and Edward grinned. "He had no idea what you were worth." Edward's grin softened and he placed his hand softly on the colonel's clenched fist.

"And what am I worth, Colonel Mustang?" He bit his lip as Roy slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Everything." He said huskily. "You're worth everything."

Edward didn't bother to fight the blush that rose to his cheeks. He leaned forward, giving Roy the lightest of butterfly kisses. Then he stood, and pulled the colonel by the hand down the hall.

Edward slept in Roy's room that night.

**(You can interpret that how you wish.)**

* * *

_A Few Days Later_

Edward crouched down on the sidewalk to tie his bootlaces.

"Edward?"

Ed's back stiffened, and he stood slowly. "Hello, Raegan."

"Edward!" Raegan smiled brightly, his gleaming teeth almost blinding in their numbers. "What a coincidence!" He coughed lightly into his hand.

"Yeah." The blonde was sure his face showed his disbelief, and that was fine with him. "Coincidence."

"Oh, come on!" The edge of Raegan's face turned slightly desperate. "Surely you don't think I'm stalking you or something! Not after the not-quite-a-death-threat your new boyfriend gave me."

"He's not—"

"Yeah, yeah, everyone thinks he's just your boss and you're just his "cousin"," Raegan smirked as he made finger-quotations around the word 'cousin.' "But I know better than that. I saw the way you looked at him, and I know from _experience_ how he feels about _you_."

Edward raised a brow slowly. "So you're not stalking me."

"Not at all."

"And you're not interested in coming between me and Roy?"

"Not in the slightest."

"And you know where I live because…?"

"I looked up Roy's home address in the military profiles."

Silence.

"_Wha_-at? I just wanna talk to you, okay?"

Oh, yes. How could I forget the wine he was so good at?

"Whatever, Rae. It doesn't really matter."

"It doesn't?"

"No." Edward sighed with resignation before smiling lightly. "Look, I'm going grocery shopping. You wanna help me carry stuff?"

Raegan's face lit up. "Yeah!"

* * *

"You found him?"

"Yes, sir. Alphonse Elric, assistant automail construct. Do you need his phone number?"

"That would be wonderful, Lieutenant Hawkeye." Roy grinned into the receiver, jotting down the numbers Riza rattled off before hanging up and dialing them.

"Hello?" It was a soft-toned boy that answered the phone, and Roy couldn't help getting just a little bit excited.

"Hello, this is Colonel Roy Mustang. May I speak to Alphonse Elric, please?" Roy twirled the phone cord around his pointer finger.

"This is him. Uhm…am I in trouble or something?"

"Oh no, no! You see, Alphonse, I'm calling on account of your brother, Edward…"

* * *

A short blonde boy stood next to a tall brunette man in the marketplace, looking at the produce. The blonde pointed at a fruit, and the taller boy picked it up while the smaller one paid for it. They moved on.

And when the small boy rose his right hand to sweep a bang back from his face, the glint of automail shone from beneath his sleeve.

Trinity grinned darkly. Both of his two most-hated nemeses' were in the same place at the same time. It was like they wanted to be kidnapped or something.

Well, want it or not, they were getting it. All he had to do was wait for them to go into an alley and—bam! They were his. Without Raegan ruling the streets, he owned the whole urchin gang city, and there weren't nobody in his gang of thugs that dared to oppose him.

"Boss? Boss, watchoo lookin' at?" Snick sniveled, suddenly by Trinity's side.

"Old enemies. You see those two guys? One short guy with a braid and a tall guy next to 'im buried in food?"

Snick frowned, unable to see any significance and unwilling to admit it until, suddenly, he hissed in surprise and annoyance. "Is that…?"

"Yup. Raegan and Edward, together again. Go fetch Johnny and Antoni. We're gonna bag us some revenge."

"Got it, Boss."

* * *

Raegan was piled high with groceries and all but forgiven by Edward by the time they decided it was too dark to do any more shopping.

And, as is usually the cliché in these types of situations, both of them were in a generally good mood, nice and unsuspecting, when their abductors clubbed them on the back of their heads.

Fruits bruised, vegetables mashed, and tomatoes exploded on the cobbled alley road, one solitary apple rolling slowly into the main street to be kicked at and tripped over.

They never stood a chance, and no one even noticed as their unconscious bodies were dragged away. And the ones who did valued their lives too much to remember.

* * *

Roy gnawed on his bottom lip, worried.

Edward had only gone to get groceries—what was taking him so long? He'd expected he'd be gone an hour, maybe two, but not _five_.

What if something had happened to him?

He used to be in a gang—he could take care of himself.

What if his gang-life was catching up to him?

He can do alchemy without a circle!

He's only sixteen!

Sixteen is old enough!

_BANGBANGBANG_

Roy all but bolted over to the door, swinging it open with desperate hope. His hope faded, however, when he saw on his doorstep not Edward, piled high with the expected groceries, but a dirty little boy, scrawny and ragged. He held out a folded piece of paper with rough hands caked with grime, and Roy couldn't help crinkling his nose in disgust as he took it. Before he could ask the boy and questions, though, he was halfway down the street.

Shrugging, Roy walked back into his home to read the paper, shutting the door soundly behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen  
Twisted Retribution

Water dripped quietly from the domed ceiling, collecting in puddles on the stone floor. The only light came from a few sputtering candles, and the thick air smelled of mold. Edward tugged against the handcuffs that kept him tethered to the wall and kicked against his shackles. Their quiet, rusty jangling echoed throughout the halls of the old gang hideout.

"This sucks."

"Shut up, Eddy." Raegan's voice was half-perturbed, half-resigned, and it got Edward's hackles to raise.

"You don't get to call me that anymore, Raegan." Ed's voice was grim, and the sounds of its echoes overlapped the dull thud of Trinity's footsteps.

"Aw, are the lovebirds fightin'?" Trinity smiled at the viscous look Edward gave him, twisting the scar that ran across his face from ear to ear into a twisted second smile. He drew slowly closer to the pair and slid his pocket knife into his hand. He flicked the curved knife out and Edward's eyes widened. Trinity's evil grin intensified.

"Don't it just bring back the memories, 'Eddy'?"

Edward's lips curled back into a snarl. "If _he_ isn't allowed to use that name then _you_ sure as hell don't have the right."

The knife flicked up to press beneath the blonde's left eye and Edward's snarl disappeared.

"I wouldn't talk to me like that if I was you, blondie." Trinity trailed the knife down to his neck. "So many soft places for me to slice…" Edward but his lip as Trinity circled his stomach with the wicked blade.

The chains jangled loudly as Raegan suddenly jerked forward, his wrists and ankles fighting to be free from their restraints. "You leave him alone, you sick bastard!"

Trinity's blade flashed out and Raegan gave a sharp cry of pain. Edward's eyes widened in horror when he saw that the new deep cut would leave Raegan with yet another scar. The new one crossed over the old one across his cheek, making and upside-down cross.

Trinity tsked slowly as blood ran down and stained Raegan's crisp white shirt with ruby droplets. "Now look what you made me do…I was hopin' to cut blondie first." He shrugged and walked back over to Edward. "I guess I'll just have to make up for that, won't I?"

The shining blade pressed into the center of Edward's chest below his collarbone and Ed swallowed nervously.

Trinity gave a sickening double-grin and pressed harder, easily cutting through fabric and skin, drawing the knife down to Edward's abdomen. Edward grit his teeth, biting back the scream he knew was just behind his teeth.

"Stop it! Stop it you fucking ugly—!" In an instant, Trinity's blade was pressed against Raegan's already blood-smeared neck. He was shaking with restrained fury.

"If you value your life, you won't speak again." Trinity's voice was dark and cold, like an arctic cave.

"What's the matter, scar-face?" Raegan gave a shaky grin. "Upset that I keep breaking your concentration?" Trinity grit his teeth and shoved away from the biggest thorn in his side.

"Jimmy!"

A short but lanky boy all but fell over himself to get through the door and in front of Trinity as fast as possible. "Yes bossman!"

"Get 'im out of my sight." Dismissing them both, Trinity turned back to Ed.

"Yes bossman!" Jimmy crouched down in front of Raegan and unlocked his shackles. Raegan stood docile as the dirty boy unlocked his handcuffs and started to tug him away from the wall. But once they were next to the door, Raegan's elbow suddenly shot out, cracking Jimmy in the temple and knocking him out instantly.

He was off and running before Trinity had time to take a step forward, and he didn't look back.

Trinity scowled, but didn't do anything other than to raise an eyebrow at the slack and bleeding boy shackled to the wall. "He just escaped without you. You really havin' a lovers spat?"

"We aren't…lovers." Edward said weakly, smiling on the inside. Raegan had escaped. That meant that he was going to get help. All he had to do now was survive and keep Trinity distracted and talking until they got here.

* * *

_We have Edward. If you ever want to see the blondie again you won't call the cops._

Roy read the note again, sure he had read it wrong.

And again, sure that he had missed something.

And once more, hoping there was some mistake.

The final time he read it, a deep feeling of resignation hit him.

Edward had been kidnapped.

And there was nothing he could do.

The doorbell rang suddenly and Roy was off like a shot, over the back of the couch and at the door in seconds. He whipped the door open, ready to snag any dirty scoundrel that might have been there, but he was disappointed.

Standing on his doorstep in a bright-red jacket that tugged on the strings of Roy's memory, was a small blonde boy. He looked up at Roy and his eyes were liquid gold, a contained fire. His voice was soft when he spoke.

"Roy Mustang, right? My…my name is Alphonse Elric. I'm looking for my brother, Edward."


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, at this point, there really is no excuse. I admit it. I just didn't want to write. (In my defense, however, I moved again, and was really busy getting situated.)**

**This is the second to last chapter—the next chapter will end it. But after I finish the next chapter, I'm going to go through the whole story, fix all my errors, add more details, and basically flesh out the entire story.**

**It'll be better once I'm done, and there'll actually be an extra lemon in the story near the middle which I had accidentally edited out. (There's lemon in the next chapter, too.)**

**A few things I forgot to explain will be explained, and if there's anything you guys think I should add to make the story better, now's the time to tell me.**

**You all will know when I'm finished with my final editing process because I'll post an author's note to tell you.**

**But for now, enjoy!**

**--**

Raegan shoved the guard at the exit door out of his way and smiled, satisfied at the sharp cracking sound his skull made on the stone wall.

Now that he was out of this place, he had to find Roy. Roy would know what to do.

He was a colonel, after all.

--

"What do you mean, Edward was kidnapped?!"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?! It's pretty self-explanatory!"

Alphonse frowned over the note Roy had received, marring his delicate features with angry lines. "Why aren't they asking for a ransom?"

"Because they don't want one." Al glanced over at Roy's face, which had suddenly gone pale.

"What does that mean?" Al's voice was barely above a whisper, terrified to know the answer.

"It means they have what they want." Roy looked at Alphonse with a look in his eyes that scared him to death. "It means they have no intention of letting Edward go."

A sudden insistent hammering started at Roy's front door and if anyone had been watching, they would have been amazed at how fast the two flashed to answer the door.

Almost wrenching the door off it's hinges, Roy's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

Raegan stood, breathing raggedly and looking like he had run a mile and then face-dived into harsh pavement. His once-soft hair was clumped in the back with dried blood and fresh blood fell steadily from his pale face. A cut that would no doubt soon be a scar crossed his older one, creating a gory, flipped cross. His eyes were dull and panicked, and Roy gripped his dirtied t-shirt, jerking him inside and slamming the door shut.

Throwing Raegan on the couch and sitting down beside him. "Something tells me you know what happened to Edward."

"Edward—Eddy's in trouble! Trinity nabbed us at the grocery store and now they're hiding out in our old place. We have to go, we have to—" Raegan stopped talking, suddenly noticing the third person in the room. His eyes widened and shone in a sudden moment of clarity. "Who are you?"

"Alphonse, Edward's little brother." Alphonse gripped his hand tightly, ignoring the gritty, bloody mess that covered it. "Please, can you tell us where he is?"

Raegan's face turned a bright red. "Uh…yeah….yeah, I can take you." He cleared his throat to get rid of the rasp and stood, smudging the dried blood off his cheek. He hid his wince at the sting and stood stiffly. He took two steps toward the door and turned suddenly, Alphonse crashing into his chest at the unexpected movement. Ignoring his darkened face, Raegan looked up at Roy. "Colonel, you have a car, right? Lets drive there."

Roy nodded sharply and took the lead out the door. "You're right, it'll be faster. Private Moris, you get shotgun. I'll need you to give directions."

The three of them fell into the sleek vehicles, the leather squeaking quietly in protest as it adjusted to their weight.

Before Roy started the car, he twisted around in his seat to look at Alphonse. "Are you sure you can handle this? We're dealing with a gang, you know."

Al smiled darkly and opened his vibrant red jacket, revealing a gun attached with a chest holster. "I can take care of myself."

Roy nodded solemnly and turned back around.

They drove just over the speed limit the entire way, darting through back alleys and cutting through traffic like a hot knife through butter.

"Here, here, it's here!"

Roy hit the brakes, parking haphazardly in front of the crumbling subway gates.

--

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Edward scowled blearily at the puddle of water that the dripping ceiling was feeding.

_The place was never this shabby when Rae and I were here…but then again, I always did the repairs, and even before I got here, Tom always took care of everything…_

His right leg was chained to the wall, and the shackle had already rubbed his ankle raw. He would have escaped hours ago, if Trinity hadn't cuffed his hands with wooden hand stocks, which kept his hands from touching.

His body ached everywhere, and he hesitated to move, knowing it would hurt.

He was covered in bruises and tiny nicks that would be worse than paper cuts while healing and stung like hell right now. His white undershirt felt crusty and his leather pants, once new and flawless, were now in sticky, bloody shreds.

When the torture had started again after Raegan had escaped, Edward had honestly feared for his life. But now, he realized that Trinity planned to keep him alive for a long time, slowly torturing him until he was riddled with scars and all but mad.

He had come close to insanity, wishing for anything other than the constant, stretching, prickling, stinging pain that hi him with each movement—it even hurt to breathe as his chest rose up and down.

He wouldn't be able to take much more of this.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. _

Edward frowned, thinking he had heard something above the dreaded water drips…it sounded like an argument…

_BANG!_

And that was _definitely_ a gunshot! What was happening outside his door?!

Something heavy banged against the door to his torture cell, and Ed jerked, staring at the door with almost hesitant apprehension. A sickening dragging sound came from the other side and then the door handle rattled.

--

Punching out the first ragged boy they came across, a rather thickset boy with a knife at his hip—obviously a guard—Roy led the way into the dark tunnel. Only one thing was on his mind.

He had to find Edward.

They walked through the makeshift door of hammered-in boards and saw in front of them six dirty boys, playing poker at a rickety-round card table.

The boy closest to Roy was a pug-faced Irish boy, covered in freckles and topped with wild, dirty red hair. He had a hand with four Aces. To his right was a pale, pointy, and slender boy. His hair was dark and he held himself with a grace common to royalty. He seemed too frail to be in a gang at first glance, but if you looked twice you could see the icy chill in his eyes. Next to him was a short fidgety boy with dirty blonde hair, and the boy next to him had hair so covered in dirt that Roy couldn't really be sure what color it was. The other two boys at the table were twins, both with auburn hair and piercing green eyes.

None of them looked up from their cards as the three intruders entered, and, after a moment of silence, the boy with the cold eyes spoke.

"Your shift hasn't ended yet, Haden."

"Oh, is that what his name was?"

In seconds the table was abandoned and each boy was holding a knife aimed at either Roy, Raegan, or Alphonse.

"Really, boys," Alphonse said quietly, drawing his pistol. "Don't you know better than to bring knives to a gun fight?" The boys paled at the sight of Al's emotionless smile. "Drop them." The halls echoed with the clattering of sharp metal on rough stone. "Good. Now, I'm sorry, but my two companions here are going to have to knock you out. We'll try to make it as painless as possible, but as this is a choice between bruises and gunshot wounds, I imagine you'll forgive us eventually."

One by one, each of the boys crumpled down to the floor as Roy and Rae cracked the back of their skulls with a small stone.

"That was easier than I expected." Al smiled at Raegan.

And then he was being tackled to the ground.

Roy jumped to the side just in time to avoid the flying, dirty boy that flew at him. He pulled out his pocketknife and he and the short, thin boy circled each other.

From the corner of his eye, Roy watched Raegan wrestle a dirty kid off of Alphonse.

"Told you it was too easy," Alphonse took deep breaths, probably trying to calm his heart after the attack.

But Raegan had paused, his hands gripping the collar of the dirty boy's shirt and his weight and strength pinning him down. On closer inspection, Roy noticed that it was the same boy that had delivered the letter, and a flash of anger ran through him.

But the colonel's opponent noticed his preoccupation, and darted forward, jabbing with his dagger. Roy had training and experience on his side, however, and swiftly knocked the dagger aside. While the boy was off balance, falling forward, he lifted his fist and brought the dull end of the pocketknife down on the back of the boy's head. He was out cold before he hit the floor.

Meanwhile Raegan still sat and stared at the boy still uselessly struggling against his iron grip.

"Snick?" Raegan breathed. The boy underneath him stiffened, his eyes widening. "It's you, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Snick winced as his all but trademarked rasp came out in his voice and watched with horror as the full force of Raegan Moris's rage shone in his eyes.

"It _is_ you." His voice, always so fiery and passionate, had iced over with the intensity of his cold fury. His arms began to shake as Snick paled, and his lips pulled back into a snarl. "You. Vile. Traitor. I should kill you here and now! Everything… all of this… it's all YOUR FAULT!"

Snick started shaking, flinching away from the harsh words coming from the man who had once led him. "Please… don't…"

Raegan's back suddenly straightened, and he addressed his two companions without looking at them. "Edward is in the first door down the hall on the left. Go on. I have an old score to settle."

As Roy and Alphonse strode down the hall, they tried to ignore the muffled scream that followed after.

They walked for long minutes down the darkened hall, the sound of their footsteps echoing eerily back at them. They couldn't see farther than three feet ahead of them.

Alphonse walked behind Roy, his hand on the handle of the gun, hidden inside his bright red jacket. Suddenly Roy stopped dead, causing Al to run into his back.

Leaning to the side to apologize, Al froze as he saw the same thing Roy had seen.

Sitting two feet in front of them was a man with dirty, spiky hair and a face disfigured by his chosen way of life. He sat on his rusted iron chair as though it were a throne, and glared at them with misguided righteous fury.

"I know you all've come for Blondie," The man drawled, smirking as they both flinched. "But you can't have him. I'm not done with him, you see."

"Not…done?" Alphonse breathed.

"No, he hasn't suffered nearly enough for destroying my face."

"That's what this is about?! YOUR FACE?!" Alphonse roared, his quiet demeanor banished in the face of pure hatred. "You _kidnapped_ my _brother_ for the sake of your VANITY?!"

Trinity's scowl darkened, disliking someone belittling his pride. "Whatever. You can't have him."

Alphonse's face darkened, and without a second's pause, he pulled out the pistol, aiming it at the man's head.

And he had the nerve to laugh. "You wouldn't."

Alphonse squeezed the trigger, pelting four bullets into the horrid man's skull.

"Fuck you."

Trinity's body tilted and fell limply to the side, banging against a door—the door!

"Oh, great, now he's in the way. Help me move him, would you, Roy?"

With Roy's help, Al dragged the corpse away from in front of the door they needed to pass.

Roy fumbled with the knob for a moment.

"Damn it, it's locked!"

Alphonse held out a key. "Try this; it was tied to his hip."

Roy nodded his thanks and took the key, ignoring the blood that stained it.

To his relief, the lock clicked. Daring to hope, he swung the door wide.

At fisrt he took in the dismal state of the room, wet and dirty all at once, worn places on the floors and walls. He shuddered at the chains and shackles nailed in around the room.

Then he saw Edward. He sat against the far corner, his right leg chained and his hands caught in the crudest form of handcuffs. His clothes had been slit everywhere, the skin revealed covered in the thinnest of cuts. His hair hung in choppy, matted lengths and a large, dark bruise bloomed across his cheek, but his eyes were clear and bright as he gazed at Roy with pure joy.

"R-Roy," He rasped, lips cracking as he smiled.

Roy ran forward and fell to his knees right in front of Edward. He made quick work of the clasp to the cuffs.

Edward ignored the sharp stings of his cuts and the dull ache of his bruises to wrap his arms around Roy's shoulders. "I was so scared," He breathed into his ear.

"I was so worried," Roy whispered back, holding Edward tightly. "I'll never let this happen again. Never, never, never…" Roy feathered kisses all over Edward's face with every word of promise.

Unseen and forgotten in the doorway, Alphonse smiled.


End file.
